


The Things I'm Willing to Do... For You

by Pineprin137



Category: Supernatural RPF
Genre: Accidental overdose, Angst and Feels, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Anxiety, Awesome Danneel Harris, Brief Mention of Vomit, CPR, Caring Jensen Ackles, Clumsiness, Coughing, Dad Jared, Dad Jensen, Domestic Fluff, Drunk Jensen Ackles, Drunkenness, Emergency room, F/M, Family Feels, Family Fluff, Family Issues, Fluff, Guilt, Headaches & Migraines, Helpful Misha, Jensen Whump, Male Bonding, Mild Language, No voice, Panic Attacks, Parental Guilt, Rain, Road Trips, Sick Jared Padalecki, Sick Jensen Ackles, Sneezing, Sniffling, Sports, Stomach Pumping, Stressed Jensen, Temporary Character Death, Unsympathetic director, Worried Genevieve, Worried Jared Padalecki, ambulance ride, can't catch a break, mention of Eric Kripke, poor jensen, sick on set
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-07-14
Updated: 2020-05-31
Packaged: 2020-06-28 06:33:13
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 24,605
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19806679
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Pineprin137/pseuds/Pineprin137
Summary: Just Jensen and Jared being brothers, friends, costars.





	1. Game Night

**Author's Note:**

> I've been in the mood to write some fluffy stuff and they will be posted here. I don't think they will include any of my normal fetish stuff, but I will tag it if I change my mind.

Jensen’s attention is locked on the game in front of him. There are only three minutes remaining and the Mavs are down by six points.

His phone vibrates loudly on the coffee table, distracting him for a split second. Frowning, Jensen reaches for it. Only, the ref makes a bad call so he abandons it in favor of shouting at the tv. 

"Oh, _come on_ \- _that’s_ _bullshit_! You’re gonna call him on _that_!”

While the ref explains his lame reasoning for fouling one of the team’s best players, Jensen hears another buzz. Rolling his eyes, the actor shakes his head. He vaguely wonders who might be texting him-- Danneel knows he’s watching the game tonight and Jared went to bed early so he’d be rested for the big fight scene tomorrow. 

The Mavericks get the ball back, start heading for the basket. _Maybe they can pull this off,_ he thinks, leaning forward on his seat.

“ _Go...go...go-- GO!-- Yes!_ ” The ball drops into the net just as his phone goes off for the third time. 

_“Oh, for the love of…”_ Jensen grumbles. Picking his phone up, he tosses it onto the couch cushion next to him so it won't make so much noise. 

Whoever it is can wait until the next commercial break, which... with one minute remaining on the clock and the Mavs down by three...

He snorts when an ad for car insurance fills the screen. _Called it_...

Jensen takes a sip of his beer before reaching over to find out who the hell decided to bug him on his only night off this week.

He and Jared attended mandatory press events last weekend, Monday was Danneel’s birthday, and Tuesday and Wednesday were late-night filming days.

He warned everyone that he would be radio silent tonight. 

Pulling up his notifications, Jensen frowns. There's a grand total of _five_ unread texts from Jared. Which is strange, considering his housemate should be in his bedroom upstairs right now.

7:15

_ Hey, do we have any headache meds?  _

7:23

_ Jen? You there?  _

8:05 

_ I’m sorry to interrupt the game. kind of desperate… _

8:12 __

_ Please? My head is killing me _

8:47

_ Nevermind. I’ll just try to sleep it off.  _

_Shit._ Well, now Jensen feels like an ass. While he's been sitting down here enjoying a few beers and yelling at the TV, his best friend has been suffering from what's probably a migraine. 

When Jensen hauls himself off of the couch, he has to grip the arm of it to steady himself.

_Okay, so maybe it was more than just a couple beers..._

After taking a deep breath, the tipsy actor leans down to grab the remote to click the TV off before heading over to the stairs. A yawn catches him off guard as he _slowly_ makes his way up to the main floor of Jared’s house. The lights are all off when he gets there, though, so he stumbles while searching for the light switch.

Any other day Jensen would easily be able to navigate the familiar layout, but he’s currently tired- and a little drunk- so his coordination is off. 

After making a pit stop in the bathroom to grab Jared’s prescription migraine meds and a damp washcloth, Jensen 'walks' over to the closed bedroom door. Leaning against the wall to keep from falling over, he knocks. 

“Jare?” he says, “I got your messages. Can I come in?” 

_“Jen?”_ Jared replies so softly that Jensen can barely hear him through the pounding in his head. He tilts his head so his ear is closer to the door.

The washcloth he forgot about chooses this moment to drip onto his bare foot and he instictively flinches, inadvertently kicking the door.

Jensen winced when Jared groans. 

“Sorry..." he calls out, placing his hand against the door, _"...my bad.”_

The resulting lack of response from Jared leads him to ask, “You okay in there?” 

There’s a long breath of silence followed by another pained groan. _“No.”_

Jensen hates to enter Jared's room without his permission, but it seems his housemate is not up to granting it right now so Jensen takes the liberty of twisting the knob and stepping inside.

A deep moan prompts him to quickly shut the door, but without the light in the hallway, Jensen can barely make out a dark blurry shape on the bed. Assuming it's Jared, he starts walking that way. Well, _walking_ isn’t the right word-- more like he drunkenly shuffle-stumbles his way over to Jared's bed. 

_“Ow-- Shit!”_ Jensen curses under his breath when he steps on an abandoned cowboy boot. While the pain isn’t too bad- he’s definitely had worse- the alcohol in his system causes it to radiate and echo in his skull.

Clenching his jaw, Jensen glares at his housemate-- thankful for the darkness so Jared can’t see the frustration in his eyes. _Why can’t the man learn to pick his clothes up off of the floor!_ It literally only takes two extra seconds to toss things into the closet instead of haphazardly discarding them for Drunk Jensen to trip over later. 

_"-- Oof!"_ Jensen’s knees suddenly hit the edge of the bed and he overbalances, almost falling on top of the blanketed Jared-shaped lump on top of it. He manages to catch himself against the wall with his hand but feels the sharp corner of the nightstand dig painfully into his hip.

 _Jesus..._ The way things are going so far, the actor's pretty sure he's going to end up with more bruises from tonight than from the choreographed fightscene tomorrow. Also, Danneel is coming up this weekend so she’s sure to have a ton of questions regarding Jensen's numerous injuries.

Luckily, he has a whole day to find something better than _‘Well, hon, it actually_ wasn't _the fight scene this time...See, I sort of_ _tripped a few times while trying to help Jared out. He wasn't feeling well...I may have been slightly drunk...Oh, what did I do? Nothing much-- just stabbed myself with the nightstand, tripped over shit on the floor, banged my hand on the wall...’_

Once he regains his balance, Jensen fumbles with the child-proof lid on the prescription bottle. Jensen growls when he discovers that apparently, as drunk as he is, he now qualifies as a kid.

He sighs and squints, trying to make out the markings on the lid, but all he manages to do is rattle the bottle. Jared whimpers and tries to burrow further under the covers away from the noise. Still partially propped up by the bed, Jared's sudden movement makes Jensen dizzy-- he sits down heavily on the edge of the bed. Jared's whimper turns into a groan when the bed bounces from the added weight and jostles him.

Frustrated by his own ineptness, Jensen leans forward to rest his forearms on his legs. He sighs, _“Dammit.”_

While rubbing at the headache forming on his brow, he belatedly realizes that he’s also dropped the washcloth on the floor. 

“Jare, I- I can’t... _get it open,_ ” Jensen whispers, the admission filling him with shame.

Jared isn’t just another costar to Jensen-- he’s quickly become one of his best friends. Hell, Jared was the one who immediately offered for Jensen to stay at his house when the place he was renting suddenly became unavailable! Jared has stayed up with Jensen countless nights after he and Danneel have a fight and reassures him on set whenever Jensen doubts himself.

The guy does so much for him, yet Jensen can’t even handle a simple request. All he wants to do is help Jared out-- and he _would_ be able to if not for the stupid beers he drank!

Jared pokes the top of his head out to frown at Jensen. _"...Huh?"_

“I can’t... _get the fucking lid off._ ” Jensen tries to keep his voice down so he won’t aggravate the other man's headache anymore than he already has, but the frustration is evident in Jensen's tone. 

“You can’t get the... _lid..._ off?” Jared asks, making sure he heard Jensen correctly. 

Jensen can't blame Jared for his obvious confusion. Because not only is his headache probably making it hard to concentrate, but he and Jensen work out together on a semi-regular basis so Jared is familiar with his level of strength, yet now, Jensen is claiming he can’t open up a tiny plastic bottle? 

Feeling rather immasculated, Jensen nods. Instead od reaching out to take the bottle from him, Jared provides Jensen with the instructions he couldn't locate on the lid in the dark.

_“Squeeze and twist.”_

Jensen follows them, finally wrestling the lid off. Then, he very carefully tilts the bottle so the pills slide down the side of it instead of tumbling over each other. 

“How many do you need?” he asks Jared. 

_"...what?"_

Jensen repeats himself. Jared narrows his eyes, confused once again. 

_"...Need of what?"_

Jensen knows that even if he weren't sitting in the dark, he still wouldn't be able to pronounce the name due to the alcohol in his system.

"Uh, your headache meds?" 

_“Oh,"_ Jared says, pulling the covers back up, _"None.”_

“... _what_?” Jensen’s reply comes out more tersely than he expects. But c _ome on!_ It took him forever to get up the stairs and find the stupid bottle-- _then_ , he had to manage his way across the minefield that is Jared’s bedroom-- and _now_ , Jared doesn’t even _want the fucking pills?!_

Jensen grits his teeth. “ _You_. _don't_. _want_. _any..._?” 

Jared shakes his head. " _...no..."_

“Uh-huh,” Jensen says, bobbing his head. Maybe he's drunker than he thought and he's hallucinating his friend's answers...

“... _No_?” Jensen asks. 

_“Yes.”_

_Wait...what?_ Now, Jensen's really confused. “Yes? So, you _do_ want them then?” 

_“'Course I want them, Jen-"_

Jensen once again tips the bottle. This time, until two capsules slide into the palm of his hand. 

_“-- But I can’t have them.”_ Jared finishes with a heavy sigh. 

At this point in their exchange, Jensen's pretty sure he wouldn’t understand what was happening even if he was sober.

“You can’t... _have_ them?” Jensen says, waiting for clarification. Jared nods. 

Jensen frowns, still trying to puzzle out what Jared's trying to tell him. 

"Why the fuck not?" he asks, putting the pills back in the bottle and forcing the lid back on. 

Jared gives a half-hearted snort. “Because I’m too nauseous right now-- I'll just throw them back up.” 

Jensen fiddles the bottle in his hands. “Oh.” _Great--now what’s he supposed to do?_

Usually, when the younger actor gets one of his bad headaches, they’re on set. Jensen will then make up some excuse so they can break and Jared can take his meds and close his eyes for at least a few minutes in his dark trailer. But because this is the first time it’s happened while they are home, Jensen is at a complete loss.

And since Jensen has never experienced a migraine headache, he has absolutely no idea what Jared may need or how exactly he can help. 

He suddenly realizes Jared's still talking.

_“...Yeah. Sleep should help. Then, I can try them after I wake up and manage a few crackers.”_

“Oh... okay," Jensen says, feeling awkward, "Well, uh, I, guess I’ll let you sleep then...Sorry for waking you up.”

He ignores a wave of guilt and the tender ache of rejection as he turns away from Jared, preparing to pull himself back up. 

However, Jared grabs his hand. “You don’t have to go, man. You could stay… you know, if you want...” 

Wanting to redeem himself, but still worried he may aggravate the situation, Jensen stammers, “Are-- are you sure? I don’t want to make you worse...” 

The covers rustle when Jared rises up on his elbows. His voice is muted when he speaks, _“Please stay?”_

Jensen turns back around to face him. He offers Jared a tipsy smile, “Okay.” 

Once Jensen stumbles around to the opposite side of the bed, he lays down on top of the covers. With the alcohol still warming him, Jensen pulls his sweatshirt over his head and tosses it onto the floor so all he has on are his sweats and a long-sleeve tee-shirt.

Jensen hasn’t ever slept with another man before so he’s not exactly sure what position is appropriate. Finally, the older man settles for lying on his back with one arm folded under his head.

He startles when Jared shifts so pressed up against Jensen with his head on Jensen’s shoulder. 

Realizing how tense the other man suddenly is, Jared freezes. _“Is this okay?"_ he asks quietly, _"Or should I move?”_

The only person Jensen's ever _cuddled_ with is his girlfriend, Danneel, and she likes to drape her entire body over him. But Jared...

The younger man is nestled into Jensen’s side with one hand lightly resting near his face and his legs tucked up.

And while it feels a little _odd_ to be lying in bed with someone he hasn’t had sex with, Jensen silently admits it’s also kind of … _nice_. It makes him feel _redeemed--_ like maybe his current position as Jared's body pillow makes up for rattling the bottle, failing to open it on his own, and stumbling around while Jared needed him. 

Softly smiling, Jensen closes his eyes. _“Night, Jare,”_ he whispers.

There's a fairly long pause before Jared finally responds. _“G’night, Jen…”_


	2. Birthday Girl

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jensen forgets Danneel's birthday. Jared's got him covered.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a work of fiction. I do not claim to know their preferences or opinions. For all I know, Danneel could hate red wine and Casablanca.

“Shit!” Jensen curses and drops his head onto the steering wheel. He’s on his way home from a twelve-hour shooting day and currently stuck in traffic due to an accident up ahead. Jared left earlier since the last scene only had Dean and this week’s guest star. 

He checks to make sure the car in front of him hasn’t moved and then grabs his phone. 

_Jare, I’m an idiot._

_What did you do now lol_

_It’s Danni’s birthday_

_And?_

... 

_Jen, tell me you didn’t…_

Jensen sighs, praying to God that his best friend will be able to help him out of the hole he dug himself in to. 

_Yeah. I forgot._

_Jensen! How could you forget? You guys have been planning her trip up here for over a month!_

_I know. I suck._

_Yeah. You do._

He can practically see Jared shaking his head and sighing as he plans a way to dig Jensen out of this mess. 

_Did you have_ anything _planned? At all?_

_Well, yeah. Take out, movie night, flowers._

_That sounds fine. Why are you freaking out?_

_Because I just got off, Jare. All the shops are closed. I can order take out, but it won’t be a surprise and the fucking internet has been acting up again so we can’t stream Casablanca._

Jensen drops his phone into the cup holder as the line of cars finally moves. He hears the ding signaling Jared’s reply, but he’s too busy concentrating on the road. He hates when drivers mess around with their cell phones while driving. It’s idiotic and ridiculous to think that a text or voicemail can’t wait a few minutes. However, he’s tempted to find out if Jared is going to help bail him out. If not, Jensen’s going to have to come up with something pretty damn quick. He’s only fifteen minutes away from the house. 

As he turns the corner, Jensen sees a neon sign and reconsiders his predicament. Alcohol is always a good idea. His girlfriend enjoys wine almost as much as she loves beer. He doesn’t have a lot of cash on him, he never does on workdays, but he should be able to charge one bottle...maybe two...to his credit card. It’s almost maxed out thanks to unexpected moving expenses. 

A plan starts to formulate as he pulls into the liquor store parking lot. Good wine, good food, a little blues music...maybe even a naughty swim in the pool? Oh yeah, Jensen’s got this...with a little help from his wingman. He snatches his phone, keys, and wallet before heading inside. As he’s browsing through the various bottles for Danni’s favorite, he reads and responds to Jared’s message. 

_Checked the pantry. We have pasta, cheese, tomato sauce. Pulled Casablanca from my DVD collection. You owe me, Ackles._

_My savior lol_

_You bet your ass. I will collect, Jensen. Count on it._

_Thanks, Jare. I’m stopping at the liquor store to grab some wine. Then I’ll be home. How is she?_

_Not bad. A little tired from the flight. She’s napping._

He is happy to hear that Jared is on board with the plan but feels a little guilty about dragging him into this. Jensen is the one who fucked up and forgot Danneel’s birthday, not Jared. Jared just happens to be stuck in the middle not only because he is Jensen’s best friend but also because if drama goes down between the couple, it will be in Jared’s house. 

Jensen finally locates the bottle of red he was searching for, grabs it, then grabs a six-pack for the world’s best wingman, swipes his card, and then heads out. Luckily, the traffic is lighter on the side streets so from here it should be a lot easier. As he drives towards the house, he lays out what he needs to do when he gets home. He definitely needs a shower, part of the scene had him lying in the mud, covered in ‘blood’.The pasta shouldn’t take long, twenty minutes, tops. He’ll let her sleep until their dinner is ready, then wake her up so they can eat out on the deck. 

He pulls his truck into the driveway and grabs the bags before heading inside. He doesn’t announce his arrival like he usually would instead trying to be as quiet as possible so as not to wake Danneel. As Jensen walks into the kitchen, he is hit by the delicious aroma of Italian food. He spies two trays in the oven. One is full of sliced garlic bread and the other contains creamy three-cheese Ziti if the number of empty packages on the counter is any indication. 

As he walks down the hall and over to the stairs, he sighs. One case of beer is not nearly enough to repay his friend but it is a start. Maybe after Danni leaves, he will attempt to bathe the dogs. Or take him out for a night at their favorite bar. No matter what it is, he will not ever be able to show Jared how much he appreciates him. How lucky Jensen feels to call Jared Padalecki his best friend.


	3. Road Trip

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things don't go as planned on their roadtrip to NashCon.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a reminder that this is fiction. I don't know them, I don't own them.

“I hate you. So much.” 

“I tried to warn you, dude. You’re the one who insisted on taking my truck.” 

Jared glares over at Jensen in the driver’s seat then huffs and crosses his arms. They were currently on their way to Tennessee for a convention. They had decided that since it was hiatus, they were going to drive instead of fly. So here they were in Jensen’s truck. A truck that had chosen to malfunction last week. Jensen hadn’t had time to take it in, so now the radio wouldn’t turn on and the CD player was stuck. That meant that for the next twelve hours Jared is stuck either listening to the Frozen soundtrack on repeat or just sitting in silence. 

“Seriously, though? Frozen?” 

Jensen shrugs while keeping his eyes on the road, “It’s JJ’s favorite right now. She refuses to ride in the car without it. Not my choice, Jare.” 

“Well, yeah. You would’ve chosen something like…” Jared pauses to think. Jensen looks over with a cocky smirk. “...Kaleo.” 

“Kaleo? You like him way more than I do," Jensen argues. 

“Yeah, but you _do_ like him.” 

“Not enough to listen to him on repeat for _twelve fucking hours_!”

Jared just rolls his eyes and turns so his back is leaned against the closed window. They’ll probably end up with the windows down at some point, but it’s too damn hot right now. Jensen is wearing a dark denim jacket over his t-shirt, but Jared can’t stand more than a thin cotton tee and shorts today. If Jared was home, he and the kids would definitely be in the pool by now. 

“Seriously though, Jen. Iknow what you would pick.” 

“What, to listen to on repeat for twelve hours straight?” 

“Yup.” 

Jensen takes his gaze off the road to narrow his eyes at Jared. “Bullshit.” 

Jared chuckles, “I do.” 

Disbelief shows on Jensen’s face and he scoffs, “No you don't.”

“ _Pretty_ sure I do.”

Jensen rolls his eyes and shakes his head as they pull up to a stoplight. Jared continues, “Garth Brooks.” 

The light turns green, Jensen drives through the intersection and huffs, “Lucky guess.” 

Jared grins back at him. “Guess? Dude, I know you better than anyone. You honestly thought I wouldn’t know who you would choose?”

Jensen scowls, "Shut up." Jared laughs and a minute later Jensen can't help but join in. 

\---

They stop a few hours later to get something to eat and switch. Jensen crumples up his empty burger wrapper and tosses it into the bag. He yawns and leans his head back against the seat, closing his eyes. There aren’t many people he trusts with his truck, but he knows Jared can handle it. Danneel had actually commented on it. She resents that Jensen trusts Jared with everything, but still bars her from some things. For instance, Jensen would rather pop the hood or crawl underneath his wife’s car than hand over his keys to her. It’s not that he doesn’t trust his wife, per se, it’s just that Danni has a bit of a lead foot. She likes to go fast while Jensen is much more careful. He’s proud of his seven-year-old truck. He takes care of it. 

Jared can empathize with him. He gets it. It’s not just a vehicle. It’s part of him, like Baby. Jensen genuinely feels protective of the Impala, but _this_ is his. He bought it with his own hard-earned money, paid in full, up-front. It was one of the only things he’s ever splurged on for himself. He spends money on Danni and the kids, but when it comes to spoiling himself, he finds it unnecessary and ridiculous. If he does drop a large amount at one time, it’s most likely for something the entire family can use. 

Jared was there when he looked at it, thought it over, and even when he finally signed the papers. Jared knows how much Jensen needs it. It’s not just a way to get from point A to point B for him. His co-star understands that they _need_ something that’s theirs. The truck is Jensen’s. Not Dean’s. Not Danneel’s. Not his family’s. Jensen's. And when he looks over at the man sitting behind the wheel, he has absolute faith that his best friend will take care of one of Jensen’s few belongings. 

\---

“Heads up!” Jensen blinks awake and rubs a hand over his face. His sunglasses fell off while he napped and the glare on the windshield is hella bright. He fumbles for the bag that Jared tossed at him and curses when the rough plastic cuts his finger. He opens the door and gets out, yawns, stretches and then looks around. The gas station is quiet, just three cars in the lot including them. Jared tosses a glance over his shoulder. Jensen leans up against the door and squints at him. 

“How long was I out?” 

Jared crosses his arms on top of the bed of the truck. “About four hours." Jensen nods and yawns again. He reaches in through the now-open window and grabs his aviators off of the seat. Jared watches him with a frown. 

"You okay, Jen?"

"Yeah, just tired."

"Did you sleep at all last night?” 

Jensen shakes his head, “Not really. Arrow kept waking up. After the third time she came into our room I just went out and laid with her on the couch. Think that was around three. Danni’s been coughing all week thanks to her fricken summer cold...so, yeah, haven’t really slept much in the last few days.” 

Jared is filled with sympathy for his friend. He knows just what it’s like to have a kid who doesn’t want to or can’t sleep. Shep used to do that a lot. He would wake up from a nightmare and have a difficult time falling back asleep. Jared and Gen would take turns lying with him. It was a slippery slope though. The body needs sleep to keep going. “Jen, you have to take care of yourself too, man. They’re going to be pissed if you show up to Nashville half-dead.” 

Jensen turns towards Jared and glares. “Dude. I’m not half-dead. I’m a _little_ tired.” 

“They won’t care about semantics if you aren’t on your game, man. Last con didn’t go so well, remember? If you show up with an attitude again-” 

Jensen grits his teeth and cuts him off, “I’m _fine_. I’ll go to bed early tonight and I'll be tan, rested, and ready. 'Kay? I'm a big boy Jared, I can handle a little sleep deprivation.” He takes about three steps, then turns back to Jared, “What's with the third degree, anyway? You’re acting like my _wife_ or my _mother_. Knock it off, will ya'?” 

He stalked towards the men’s room while Jared hangs his head. He runs a hand through his shaggy hair and sighs. He didn’t mean to upset Jensen, he is just worried about him. According to Danneel, Jensen hasn’t slept through the night in about two weeks. Jared knows how dangerous that can be. Not only does it tend to increase Jensen's stress levels, it also makes him...bitchy. Bitchy Jensen is preferable during a convention. Sassy Jensen is a given, Sweet Jensen is rare, Nesnej is a distinct possibility with the convention being in Nashville, but if Bitchy Jensen shows up for the panel and photos, things are guaranteed to get...uncomfortable. The producers won’t be happy, Danneel will be annoyed, Donna and Alan will be disappointed, and Jared? Jared will be left to try and soothe any ruffled feathers caused by his co-star's bad attitude. 

The click of the nozzle catches his attention. He quickly replaces it at the pump and screws the gas cap back on before climbing into the passenger seat. With the mood his best friend seems to be in, Jared is actually looking forward to a nap. Screw small talk, he thinks, the asshole can sulk and stew as much as he wants while Jared sleeps.

The driver's side door opens and Jensen gets in. He tosses a bag of gummy worms onto Jared’s lap and rests his hands on the wheel. 

“I’m sorry.”

Jared accepts the peace offering and decides to forgo his nap. His friend needs him, whether Jensen is aware of it or not.

“Jen, talk to me, man. What’s going on with you? Dan told me you’ve barely been sleeping.” 

Jensen sighs, “I don’t know...Just a lot going on, I guess.” He wets his bottom lip before rubbing his brow with two fingers.

“ _Shit_ , Jare, it’s just… prepping for the last season. I'm directing again and the kids are getting ready to go back to school. I guess it just...seems like a lot. ” He looks over at Jared. “Normally I just, go with it, you know? I let Danni take the reins with all the school stuff and I focus on getting ready to shoot. But this year…” he stares out the window and trails off. 

Jared reaches over and places a hand on Jensen’s shoulder. “You don’t want to go back.” Jensen nods.

“I get it, Jen. It’s hard knowing that this is going to be it. That when we get back...it’ll be the beginning of the end…” Jared understands completely. He has been struggling with not wanting the summer to end as well. Knowing that when he walks through the doors on Day One of Season Fifteen, it will be the start of the countdown for Days Remaining Till The Greatest Time of Their Lives Ends. 

“I don’t...I don't know if I can do it, Jared..." Jensen manages a shaky breath with tears in his eyes. "I know we agreed that it was time, but-” 

Jared squeezed his shoulder and met Jensen's eyes with his own teary ones. “But it feels like home.”

“Yeah. It does." Jared watches the anger build in Jensen's eyes as he speaks, "Which is _wrong_ , right? I mean, how can a fucking _set_ feel more like home than the house that I live in with my _wife_ , my _kids_?!” Jensen tightens his grip on the wheel and clenches his jaw against a wave of guilt. 

“They’re my _family_ , Jared! I should want to be there with them, every-fucking-day. But lately, when I look at them... all I see is what I’m leaving behind.” He bangs his fist down onto the wheel and curses, "Dammit!"

Jared flinches even though he's feeling the same emotions. He's just as conflicted about the last season, what this means for them. 

They knew it was going to be hard. To move on from the show, to embrace their roles of father and husband completely. This is why it took so long for them to agree it was time. But Jared's pretty sure neither of them expected it to feel like this. Like there is a hole growing inside of them and each day they get closer to the end, the bigger it gets. Nothing fills it.

It feels like more than just the show is ending. Like they are losing some giant part of who they are. They have no idea what is going to happen. If their marriages will work without them being gone all the time or if the kids will resent Jared and Jensen down the road for being absent so much during their childhoods. After all, neither of them knew their wives before the show. Jensen and Jared _had been_ friends with Danneel, but she didn't become an integral part of their lives until she and Jensen started dating. Hell, he met his wife, Genevieve, on the show. Without the show, Jared wouldn't have his wife, his kids...his best friend. 

Jared looks up when Jensen takes another shaky breath, prepares to speak. 

“I can’t lose this, Jare. I don't know who I am without it.” Jensen finally raises his head and meets Jared’s worried gaze, “I can't--I can’t lose you.” 

Jared pulls Jensen into his arms and hugs him tightly. He tries to convey everything he is feeling into his next words, “You aren’t going to lose me, Jen. _Ever_. Just because the show is ending doesn’t mean this-” he gestures between them, “ is going to end too. Jensen, you mean the world to me. There is no fucking way that I’m going to let our friendship go." He sits back and shoves a hand through his hair. 

"You said you don't know who you are without the show? Well... I don't who I am without you.” 

Jensen smiles softly and chuckles, “Ditto.” 

Jared gapes at him, “Really, Jen? I’m spilling my heart out here and all you’ve got is ‘Ditto’?” 

Jensen pauses for a moment before answering, “Yeah.”

He wipes the back of his hand over his face. He sniffs and clears his throat then shifts the truck into gear and heads back towards the road. “Besides, I was the one who _poured_ my heart out first, dude.”

Jared scoffs and punches Jensen in the arm before giving in and smiling back at his best friend.


	4. Danger

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jensen's usually calm in a bad situation but not tonight.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter contains an overdose. Please don't read if this makes you uncomfortable or triggers you in any way.

“Jare?” Jensen knocked softly on the door and waited for an answer. There was a low groan followed by a splash as Jared threw up again. Jensen flinched in sympathy. The poor guy had been feeling sick all weekend and stayed home today. 

“You need anything before I head downstairs?” 

“...yeah. C-Can you b-bring m-me a ch-change of clothes?” 

“Sure. I’ll be right back. Anything else?” 

“N-n-no.” 

He made his way down the hall to Jared’s bedroom and opened the door. Two balls of worried fur hit him full force and knocked him over. 

“ _Shit_! Guys, he’s fine! Daddy’s going to be okay. He’s just sick.” Jensen ran a hand through Sadie’s fur and scratched Harley’s ears. They were just as worried about Jared as Jensen was. He ushered them back into the bedroom. Harley jumped up on the bed while Sadie stayed right by Jensen’s side as he gathered up some clothes, Jared’s pillow, and the soft blanket on the end of the bed. 

Of course, once he tried to leave the room, they whined and gave him the sad eyes. Jensen sighed and turned to face them, “Aw, guys. I can’t. I mean, Sadie you know I would let you in with him, but your brother is way too energetic right now. So how ‘bout I let you both out and then when Daddy’s tired himself out, you can come in and snuggle with him, okay?” 

Harley’s butt wiggled on the floor, he always loved going outside. Sadie, however, just laid down on the floor and rested her head on her paws while staring up at him. 

It took him another ten minutes to coax the dogs outside, drop the stuff off with Jared, check how he was doing, and then finally went downstairs. Truth was, Jensen felt exhausted. Not only had he been taking care of Jared all weekend, but since the younger man had stayed home, it fell to Jensen to do the bulk of the episode’s dialogue as well as fight choreography. 

Jensen kicked his shoes off and flopped down on his bed, relishing in the momentary silence. It didn’t last long though, only a minute later his phone rang. He rolled over and swiped it without looking at the screen. 

“Hello?” Jensen paused to put the phone to his shoulder so he could yawn and missed what the other person said. “Sorry, what was that?” 

Danneel laughed, “I asked how work was, but the yawn kind of gave it away.” 

“Oh, sorry. Yeah, it’s been a long day, hell, a long week, really.” Jensen sat up against the headboard and rubbed a hand over his forehead. He’d been fighting a dull headache for the last three days. Probably from stress. 

“You okay?” She sounded worried and he couldn’t help but smile. It was nice to feel cared for, maybe even loved. He and Danni had made things ‘official’ about three months ago and while he wanted to say it, he was also a little nervous. 

“Yeah, I’m fine. Jared’s the one who’s sick, not me.” 

“And? Jay, just because you aren’t puking your guts out doesn’t mean you can’t not be okay.” 

Jensen cringed at the awful grammar but let it slide. He was too tired to tease her right now. 

“Yeah, actually it does, D. When Jared’s out, I have to do twice as much. Not only on set but at the house too.” 

“Jay--” 

“No. Someone’s got to check on him, not to mention let the dogs out. I have dialogue to learn for tomorrow, a fight scene to prep for, and at some point, in the near future, I _have_ to go grocery shopping. We’re down to, like, a can of beans and some leftover pizza at this point.” 

Jensen didn’t mean to be rude, but he was tired and stressed. Whenever he felt like that normally, he talked to Jared, but he couldn’t right now so Danni was getting the brunt of his bad mood. 

He leaned his head back and sighed, “Shit, I’m sorry. You don’t deserve this…” 

“Jensen, you’re human. It’s okay to need someone. I’m here for you, Jay. You know that.” Jensen nodded into the phone. “Besides, I’ve seen you with no coffee, on three hours of sleep, during the holidays...I think I can handle you a little stressed.” He could practically see her smile as she spoke. He laughed with her and laid back down feeling more relaxed than he had in days. 

They stayed on the phone for an hour, talking about work, making plans, goofing around. But eventually, Jensen could barely keep his eyes open. He drifted in and out during the conversation. He made sure to show his appreciation before he fell asleep though. 

“Thanks, honey. I feel… lighter.”

“Anytime, Jay. You support me so much, it’s nice to return the favor.” 

“Hmm.” Jensen snuggled into his pillow. 

Danneel chuckled, “Go to sleep, babe. I’ll talk to you later, ‘kay?” 

“‘Kay. Love you.” His breath was already evening out. 

“... I… love you… too. Sleep well, Jensen.” In the back of his mind, he wondered why she sounded so shocked, but before he could worry about it, he was asleep. 

Four hours later, according to the clock on the dresser, Jensen was awoken by a loud thud. He sat up in his bed, odd, he didn’t remember getting into bed...or taking his clothes off… He swung his feet to the floor and grabbed his glasses off the nightstand so he could see the light switch on the wall. It took him a minute to focus once the lights came on. He rubbed the sleep from his eyes and walked back over to snatch his phone before walking out into the living room. It was eerily quiet. Typically if there was any kind of noise during the night, Harley would alert the entire house of the potential threat. If it deemed threatening, Sadie might join in, but right now it was silent.

Jensen frowned and walked over to the stairs. He peered into the darkness but didn’t see anything. Yawning, he climbed the stairs and paused at the top. The hallway was empty, but there was a soft glow coming from the bathroom. He stopped in front of the doorway. There was a rumpled blanket on the floor and the toilet seat was still up, but no Jared. With a growing sense of unease, Jensen crossed the hall and entered Jared’s bedroom.

“Jare-- _Jared!_ ” 

Jensen ran over to his roommate’s prone body and hefted him up so Jared’s head was resting on his thighs. He felt for a pulse and breathed a sigh of relief when he felt a weak flutter under his fingers. Jared was breathing, but he hadn’t opened his eyes yet. Jensen jostled him slightly, but when Jared still failed to respond, he grew frantic. 

“Jared! Hey! Hey! Jared, c’ mon man, open your eyes!” 

Jensen kept a firm hold on the other man and scanned the room with his eyes. He could barely make out anything-- wait, what was on the nightstand? Jensen squinted at the object on the table, it was reflecting the glow of the bathroom light. He reached out and grabbed it. _Shit._ Almost three-fourths of the bottle of codeine was gone. That’s when he realized there was also an empty tumbler on the floor. Jensen picked it up and sniffed. _Shit!_ Not only had Jared taken way more than the recommended dosage, but he had also combined it with whiskey. 

Jensen gently slapped Jared’s cheek, still nothing. _Fuck!_ He was really starting to freak out. He grabbed his phone from where he had dropped it on the floor and dialed. 

His hand shook when he held the phone to his ear. 

“9-1-1, what’s your emergency?” 

“M-my roommate, he’s not, uh, he’s not… responding.” 

“Okay. Can you tell me if he’s breathing?” 

“Yeah. Yeah, he is, but it’s sh-shallow. I can barely feel a pul--” Jensen had to stop as a sob broke free. “ _I don’t know what to do_ …What do I do?!” 

“It’s okay. Can you tell me your name, Sir?” 

“J-Jensen. My name is--is Jensen.” 

“Okay, Jensen. I’ve sent your location to our closest unit and they’re on their way. I need to ask you some questions. Can you try to answer them for me?” 

“Y-yeah...okay.” 

“You said he’s breathing, that’s good. Can you see if it’s rapid? It would seem like he’s panting.” Jensen leaned down and listened to Jared’s breath. 

“No. Not rapid, kinda weak? I guess. Like he can’t get enough air? _Jesus_ ... Is he gonna _suffocate_?!” 

“Jensen, I need you to take a deep breath. Your friend is okay. The most important thing is that he’s breathing.” 

With each question from the dispatcher, Jensen grew more worried. 

Was he warm to the touch?

Was he covered in sweat?

Had he thrown up? 

Did his pupils respond to light? 

When you squeeze his hand, does he react? 

How about when you call his name? 

Has he partaken in any drugs or alcohol? 

Can you tell me what kind?

Was he prescribed anything for his illness? 

Can you tell me how much he took? 

After the most terrifying five minutes of Jensen’s life, the doorbell rang downstairs. Jensen rose on wobbly legs. He looked back at Jared still on the carpet and hesitated. Logically, he knew that once he let the paramedics in, Jared’s chance of survival would increase tenfold, but his emotions had the reins right now. He didn’t want to leave his friend alone. Jensen clenched his eyes shut and turned towards the hallway. He took one step, then another. It probably took him a good three minutes, but he finally made it to the door. 

He led the paramedics into Jared’s bedroom. They rushed inside and began poking and prodding the unconscious man. Jensen slipped out to the hallway and leaned his head back against the wall. His heart was racing and his palms were sweating. He tried to take a breath, but it felt his lungs were in a vice. His head spun and his knees buckled. 

“Try putting your head between your knees.” A gloved hand gently urged his head forward until he was looking down at the floor. 

“There you go. Your friend’s going to be alright, but we need to take him in. Can you tell me his name?” 

Jensen looked up at the kind man’s face and realized he had a tight grip on the poor guy’s arm. He quickly let go and hugged his knees instead. 

“His name is J-Jared. Jared Padalecki.” 

“Okay, Jensen. It’s Jensen, right?” Jensen nodded. “I’m assuming you want to ride with him?” He nodded again. “Okay, can you stand? We’re getting ready to take him out to the truck.” 

Jensen gripped the doorframe with one hand and the man’s arm with his other, slowly rose from the floor. As he stood, Jensen saw Jared through the doorway. There was an oxygen mask on his face, his t-shirt was slit down the middle and there was a variety of plastic packages littering the floor around him. Jensen froze taking in the sight of his best friend, now on a board, lying there close to death. The panic he felt blocked everything else out. He placed one shaking hand to the wall and bent over as his dinner came back up. 

He was still panting over the puddle of sick on the wooden floor when the hand from earlier guided him towards the door. Jensen blindly followed the man into the ambulance. Jared was lying on a gurney in the middle, the other paramedic checking his pulse. Jensen lowered his head to try to catch his breath and realized he was only wearing his underwear. Even his feet were bare. 

The men started yelling things to the person up front, but Jensen only caught a few words. 

“Unresponsive male….possible overdose...CPR...thready pulse…” 

Jensen’s head snapped up, “Did you say _CPR_?” 

The nice paramedic turned towards Jensen and nodded, “Your friend’s heart stopped while we were fitting him with the oxygen mask.” He must have noticed the terror on Jensen’s face because he quickly added, “Jared’s okay. It worked and we got a pulse.” 

_Oh, God_ … _Jared’s heart had stopped._ Did that mean that Jared had _died_? While he was freaking out ten feet away? Jensen’s mind immediately filled with thoughts of the younger man dying on his bedroom floor, _alone_ while _he slept_. Suffocating or having a heart attack, it didn’t matter, either way in the panic-induced scenario, _Jared died._

Jensen tasted sour spaghetti sauce and forcefully swallowed. He raised a fist to his lips and tried to focus on Jared, _alive._

“Here.” The hand appeared in front of his face holding an orange container. Jensen was too frightened to feel humiliated. He gratefully grabbed it and turned away to be sick. The more he threw up though, the more guilty he felt. The guilt, in turn, making him feel even more nauseous. The medic took the full container and offered him a small smile as they pulled up to the ER.   


Jensen sat and stared at the wall, then his hands, the floor, and back at the wall. He had been sitting for around three hours, waiting to hear how Jared was doing… if he was okay… alive… Jared’s girlfriend, Genevieve, sat in the chair next to Jensen. She was curled up in a ball, passed out.

Once the ambulance had gotten to the hospital, Jensen had been left to wander and worry while they rushed Jared away down some hallway where he couldn’t follow. He had only lasted twenty minutes before ending up a mess of guilty tears in the men’s room, remembering poor Sadie and Harley were still outside. Jensen had never let them back in. First, he had fallen asleep talking to Danneel and then Jared, _the paramedics, the ambulance ride, the fucking ER_ … In all the rush, he hadn’t thought about the dogs. He had called Eric, then Misha. Misha decided he would stop by the house to take care of Jared’s ‘kids’ and also pick up some clothes for Jensen. One of the nurses had brought him a pair of scrubs, but he desperately wanted his comfy sweatshirt and some actual shoes, that he could wear instead of the slippers he grudgingly agreed to. 

He had called Danneel and spoken with her while waiting for Gen to arrive. He filled out as much of Jared’s medical information as he could, knee bouncing the clipboard, pen shaking in his grasp. He caught a terrified Genevieve when she heard the news about her boyfriend and collapsed. After he got her calmed down, he then called Jared’s parents to let them know what happened. They insisted on flying down and booked the next available flight. Eric had offered to call them, but Jensen argued that it would probably be better if they heard it from Jared’s roommate over his boss. 

Misha had barely walked through the sliding doors before Jensen was hugging him. The older man simply held his costar while he sobbed. He gently ushered them over to the chairs and rested a hand on Genevieve’s shoulder before helping Jensen to sit and trying to calm him. They walked into the bathroom so Jensen could change after reassuring Gen that they would be right back. Misha followed if only because he was slightly worried Jensen might topple over and hit his head. The man’s increasing stress levels had been evident all week, but right now he looked like he was only a few minutes away from collapsing. 

They sat in a row, flipping through the long-past-their-prime magazines, sipping coffee from pathetic styrofoam cups, herding calls from Jared’s family and other coworkers. 

An exhausted man in a pair of dark blue scrubs came pushed through the doors. He surveyed the room of tired, desperate, pained people until he found one with light brown hair, wearing a Cowboys sweatshirt and jeans, his head in his hands. “Jensen Ackles?” 

Jensen’s head rose and he blinked tiredly before his green eyes widened with recognition and he hurried to stand. 

“Yes. That’s me. Is he okay? Is Jared okay? _Please just tell me he’s okay._ ” He searched the doctor’s eyes for any indication. He clasped the doctor's coat in his hands, tears sliding down his face. Genevieve clutched at Jensen’s sleeve while Misha sat alert in his chair. They all waited, anxious to know if Jared was alright. 

“Mr. Padalecki is resting in the recovery area. We had to pump his stomach, but he should be just fine.” Jensen closed his eyes and sank back into his chair, relief filling him. 

“We are going to require a chaperone for the next few days though to ensure that this doesn’t happen again.” 

Jensen frowned, “He wasn’t trying to kill himself, doc. He just took too much.” 

“I understand that. But it’s hospital policy with any overdose. Your friend ingested three times the regular dosage of cough syrup before consuming alcohol.” Genevieve gasped. Jensen put his arm around her. 

The doctor sighed and continued, “We will need you to sign this form before we can release him into your care. The nurses are getting him settled right now. One will come to get you when you can go back and see him.” 

The man turned to leave but Jensen stopped him, “Doc?” 

He turned around and raised an eyebrow in question. 

“Thank you.” 

He nodded before disappearing back through the doors. Jensen shared a look with Misha while Genevieve clung to him. They waited. The nurse came to get them and led them into Jared’s room one at a time. Jensen let Genevieve go first, then convinced an unsure Misha to go next. Once Jensen was in that room, he dared anyone to try and remove him. 

As he walked down the hallway behind the nurse, he started to doubt the doctor. It wasn’t that Jensen didn’t believe him, but the image of Jared lying still in the middle of the floor still burned behind his eyes. The nurse paused by the door and gestured for Jensen to go in. He swallowed and reached a shaky hand out to twist the doorknob. He took a deep breath and entered. 

Jared was lying in a small bed surrounded by machines. There was an IV in his hand and he was so pale… Jensen took one timid step and placed his hand against the wall to help support his weight. He glanced down at the floor and bit his lip to try to stop the tears but it was no use. He collapsed into the chair at Jared’s bedside and laid his head on his best friend’s arm as he sobbed. 

“ _Jen…_ ” Jared’s voice was raspy when he spoke. 

“Don't-- Don’t you _ever_ do that again, Jared…” 

“ _M’ sorry, Jen..._ ” 

“ _You should be! You scared the hell out of me! Why would you even--What the hell were you thinking?!”_

Jared sighed with a wince, “ _Jensen, I’m sor--_ ”

“You _died_ , Jared! You fucking _died_ and I couldn’t…” 

Jared’s eyes filled with tears as he watched his friend break down. He stayed quiet while Jensen struggled with his overwhelming emotions. 

“Jared.” 

Jensen spoke without raising his head. Jared carded his hand through Jensen’s hair. “ _Yeah_?”

“... _please_... don’t do that again…” 

Jared nodded, “...okay.” 


	5. Sick Day

Jensen woke up feeling like crap. His head ached, his throat was sore, and his nose wouldn’t stop running. He rolled over in bed and squinted at the clock as he fumbled for the button. Groaning, he reached over and pulled the plug from the wall, the chirping sound died instantly. He sat up and rested his hand against the mattress as vertigo hit. He swallowed, wincing and coughed into his elbow. Ugh, he hated being sick. 

He shuffled into the bathroom and yawned before turning on the shower and stripping. He turned his face to the hot water and let it wash away some of the sleepiness. The water soothed the ache in his muscles. He leisurely soaped up and washed his hair not wanting to leave the warmth behind the shower curtain. He shut the water off and braced himself as he coughed again. He grabbed his robe and bundled up, then brushed his teeth. He rooted around in the cabinet and unearthed a half-empty box of cold medicine. He popped two capsules out and swallowed them with a glass of water before returning to the bedroom.

Sitting on the bed, he tried to remember what was on the schedule for today and prayed to God that he wouldn’t have any fight scenes. He was already feeling lightheaded and he had only been up for half an hour. He sighed and sniffled before rising. Just picking out his clothes seemed like an insurmountable task and he still had to figure out what to do about breakfast. 

Jared heard Jensen coming up the stairs and chuckled, looks like someone was running a little behind today. 

“Morning, Jen!”

The other man only grunted and shuffled to the fridge. Jared cocked his head trying to figure out what was wrong with this picture. Jensen wore a pair of old jeans, a hoodie, his tennis shoes, and...his glasses? Jared gaped at him. He knew that Jen hated wearing his glasses in public. Preferred to wear his contacts while on set because his glasses tended to get dirty and/or scratched. 

Jared watched him from his spot at the table, “Jen? Are you feeling okay? You seem a little--”

Jensen felt the tickle in his nose and hurried to bury his face in his arm. His sneeze seemed even louder due to the quietness in the house and he groaned before sniffling and wiping his nose with a kleenex. 

“--off. You okay, man?” 

Jensen grabbed the jug of orange juice and carried it to the table. Then he had to get back up when he realized he forgot a glass. 

“Feel like shit.” He poured himself a glass and laid his head on his folded arms. 

Jared grimaced and slid his bowl of Fruit Loops closer to his body. “No offense, but you kind of look like it. You okay to go in?” 

Jensen coughed and then looked up with a yawn, “Don’t really have a choice. Bob will throw a fit if I don’t show. We have um... _ something _ ...big today.” 

He frowned when he couldn’t remember what it was. Jared offered him a sympathetic smile and a light pat to his shoulder. Jensen didn’t blame him for wanting to avoid his germs, this  _ sucked. _ He took a tentative sip of his juice and winced at the burn on his scratchy throat. He pouted and pushed it away. Jared sighed and set a mug of hot water in front of the sick man then lowered a sachet of Chamomile and placed the honey bottle next to it. Jensen turned to thank him but was forced to snatch a napkin so he could hack into it. Jared waited until he was finished before telling him, “If you can’t finish it all before Clif gets here, I’ll put it into your to-go mug.” 

Jensen looked like he wanted to protest, but Jared cut him off, “Look, I know you’re capable, but right now I would rather do it than run the chance of you burning yourself.” 

Jensen sighed, “Fine.” 

The ride to set was filled with multiple sounds of sickness and both Clif and Jared were dreading the end of the day and the long car ride home. Jensen coughed and sneezed, sniffled, and moaned. He didn’t speak other than to apologize quietly when he sneezed and seemed solely focused on sipping his tea. Halfway through the journey, Jared heard soft snoring coming from beside him and gently removed the cup from Jensen’s grasp. He shared a look with Clif and snapped a quick photo for his blackmail file. Never know when you’re going to need a shot of Jensen drooling while passed out on the way to work. Sure, Jen was sick, but Jared wasn’t one to pass up an opportunity and right now the man looked adorable. 

“CUT!” 

The guest director motioned to the camera operator and then stalked angrily off set. It had been a long, trying eight hours so far and they still had a whopping six more to go. Russ had sneered when Jensen finally trudged onto set almost half an hour late. Jared had texted Genevieve and then checked on the dogs through the security feed on his phone. The entire crew had been witness to Russ’s loud complaints. Jensen hadn’t even argued, he was exhausted and sore and all he wanted to do was pass out in his trailer. Jared got the whole story once they were between takes. 

According to Jensen, he had a coughing fit in the middle of Jeanie styling his hair and then when it was time for makeup, he couldn’t stop sneezing. To make matters worse, Vancouver had decided today was a great day for constant drizzling rain so everyone would be soaked by dinner. Jared had to give his co-star props, Jensen gave his absolute all. Though he flubbed his lines, he kept going. When they wanted the car to look more aggressive during a car chase, he pushed the pedal and spit gravel. He used up two boxes of kleenexes blowing his nose and sat still each time the girls had to come and touch him up. Jared had a feeling that Jen was dying to yell right back at their director, but he bit his lip and just took it. Unfortunately, as much as Jensen fought to do his job and not let his illness get in the way of shooting, his body wore down. 

Russ huffed when Jensen began whispering halfway through his line, “Cut! Start over! From Jared’s line. Ackles, louder!” 

Jared walked back to the chair Sam had been sitting in at the beginning of the scene and took his place. Jensen leaned against Bobby’s counter and crossed his arms. He held up one finger so he could cough before they began the scene and then nodded. While he delivered Sam’s lines, Jared kept an eye on the other man. Dean rubbed his forehead and then gaped at Sam disbelievingly. Jensen opened his mouth to say his line, and nothing came out. He frowned, licked his lips, and tried again. This time he managed a broken whisper before his voice cut out completely. Jared heard Russ throw a fit in the background but he was more concerned about his friend. 

Jensen turned away from the camera and slammed his hands on the countertop.  _ Dammit! _ Frustration filled him and he suddenly needed to hit something. He walked off set and over to the door. He rammed it with his body and felt satisfied when it slammed into the wall. He stalked towards his trailer and wrenched the door open. Inside, he snarled at the variety of medical supplies on the table. The onsite medic had been called as soon as he showed up that morning. She had supplied him with bottles of Gatorade, pills, a thermometer, extra blankets, and several boxes of kleenex. He angrily swept his arm across the table and watched them fly across the room. 

Jared heard the telltale sounds of Jensen’s hissy fit and cautiously opened the trailer door. Jensen was sitting on the small couch with his head in his hands. He panted from exertion but broke down into a painful coughing fit while Jared surveyed the damage. Bottles of Gatorade had rolled under the cabinets, one of the tissue boxes was smashed, the thermometer was nowhere to be found, and the bottle of Advil had actually popped open scattering little orange pills all over the floor. Jared sighed and walked over to sit down next to him. 

“Lost your voice, huh?” 

Jensen turned and glared. Jared saw tear tracks on his face.  _ Best tread lightly here… _

“I get that you feel like crap, Jen, but you gotta talk to me, man. Russ is about to have a stroke out there.” Jared gestured over his shoulder with his thumb. “He told me to come in here and remove your head from your ass, dude.” He remained silent, crossed his arms, and looked away from Jared. 

“C ‘mon, Jen! You stormed off set. Everyone’s worried about you...well, not Russ, but he’s a dick, don’t worry about him.” Jared saw Jensen’s mouth twitch and pushed on, “Maybe if you talk to me, I can get him to calm down a little. Enough so that you can explain what happened.” 

Jensen looked at Jared and raised his eyebrow. Jared shook his head in confusion. Jensen huffed and tossed his hands in the air. 

“ _ I...cant.” _

It took Jared a few moments to realize the croak he heard was actually the sick man trying to speak. Jensen raised his hand to his chest and pressed it into his sternum. He gritted his teeth against the sharp pain talking caused and rose to fish out one of the bottles of water from the mini-fridge. He gently raised it to his chapped lips and took a sip before leaning against the countertop, much as he had in their earlier scene. 

He met Jared’s eyes and whispered, “ _ Hurts.”  _

Jared nodded and got up from the couch, “Try to get some rest. I’ll go let Russ and Bob know you’re done for today so they can figure out what to do. I’ll come to check on you in about an hour.” He gestured to the supplies on the floor, “You may want to try and clean that up when you’re able.” 

Jensen offered a weak thumb’s up and grabbed one of the damaged tissue boxes so he could blow his nose. Jared shook his head as he shut the door behind him. He could still hear Jensen hacking away on the other side. He shoved his hands into Sam’s jacket and headed back to set. As much as Russ wasn’t going to like what he had to say, there was nothing they could do until Jensen regained his voice. Unlike their characters, Jensen and Jared were just regular guys and sometimes regular guys got sick. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The director is not based on an actual person, I just needed someone to be mean to Jensen.


	6. Anytime, Brother

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "I know I have gotten a call, even got my door knocked on a few times and heard four words come out of [Jared's] mouth. And it's 'I need a friend'."
> 
> \- Jensen Ackles

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was a one-shot fic, but I think it fits better here.
> 
> The quote is from a convention video I rewatched recently where a fan asked how the boys handle anxiety when things get to be too much. Jensen mostly let Jared take it since he's been so vocal about his mental health struggles, but when Jensen said that quote it struck me so deeply.  
> I know how hard it can be to ask for help and Jared is so lucky to have a friend like Jensen, who, even though he doesn't totally understand it, supports Jared in any way he can. 
> 
> I'm dedicating this chapter to my "Jensen". She saved my life and I don't know where I would be without her.

_*knock*_

_*knock*_

_*knock*_

Jensen peels one eye open and turns to look at the clock on his bedside table. 

_4:32_

With a groan, he rolls over and tries to go back to sleep. It’s their last day of hiatus and he wants to go enjoy the chance to sleep in. 

_*knock*_

_*knock*_

_*knock*_

_*knock*_

_*knock*_

When he doesn’t get up right away, Danneel smacks him. 

“Ouch. Okay. Okay. I’m going,” he mumbles as he throws the blankets off and slips his bare feet to the floor. He grabs his t-shirt from the floor in front of the hamper and pulls it on as he walks down the hall. He checks on the kids first to make sure they’re all still asleep then continues down the stairs and over to the front door. 

_*knock*_

_*knock*_

_*knock*_

_*knock*_

_*knock*_

_*knock*_

“Okay, okay, I’m coming.” He calls out as he approaches the door. He looks through the peephole and frowns. With a yawn, he opens the door and squints at the man standing there. 

“Jared?” 

It takes Jensen’s sleep-addled brain a few moments to catch on that something isn’t right. For one thing, Jared isn’t wearing any shoes and he’s in his pajamas. Second, the deep shadows on his face suggest he hasn’t been sleeping. The last is the most concerning to Jensen though. 

“Jared? What’s wrong?” 

The evidence of recent tears on his best friend’s face wakes him up faster than a cup of coffee would. He places an arm around the other man and steers him through the house, into the den. 

He guides Jared to take a seat on the couch then sits on the edge of the coffee table so he can hopefully maintain eye contact. 

“Jared, man, talk to me. What’s going on?” 

“I need--” The distraught man can’t continue. He chews on his lip and glances around the room like he’s trying to find something. 

Jensen nods, encouraging him to continue. 

Jared slowly settles his frantic gaze on Jensen. His hand moves and clings to the older man’s arm in a death grip. 

“I need a-- a friend.” 

The reluctance in Jared’s voice worries Jensen, but he tries to remain calm. It won’t help Jared if he gets upset and starts accusing him of hiding how he’s been feeling. 

Instead, Jensen just nods and wraps both arms around him until Jared’s free hand in clinging to his shirt and salty tears dampen his neck. 

“Alright, buddy. Just breathe. I’ve got you” 

Great sobs rack Jared’s body as Jensen holds him, rocking his friend as he does with one of his kids after a nightmare. Something has obviously been brewing for a while, but he’ll have to wait until Jared calms down to find out more. 

When the tears finally cease, Jensen realizes Jared is asleep and gently positions him on the couch before heading upstairs. Again, he checks on the kids then quietly enters his bedroom. He crosses over to the closet to grab a few things for Jared to wear in the morning then kisses his wife and rubs her shoulder to wake her. 

She opens her eyes and yawns then reaches over to turn on the lamp. “What’s wrong?” 

“Jared’s downstairs.” 

She immediately props up on her elbows. “Is he okay?” 

Not exactly sure how to answer that question yet, Jensen goes with the truth. 

“I don’t know. He’s pretty upset.” 

Sitting up fully now, Danneel cups her husband’s bearded cheek and smiles sadly. 

“You want me to call Gen? Let her know he’s okay?” 

“Yeah… thanks.” 

“Of course. I’ll try to keep the kids out of there in the morning. Den?” 

He snorts softly, “Yeah.” 

Jensen stands and starts to walk away but turns back. His wife is still sitting there with the blanket bunched in her lap. Her ponytail is lopsided and her t-shirt is folded up funny over her stomach. Her phone is already in her hand but she pauses when she sees him still standing there.

She tilts her head and cocks an eyebrow. “What is it?” 

“I’m the luckiest man in the world.” 

In two strides Jensen has her in his arms. He kisses her deeply, trying to convey everything he feels for her in that one moment. She’s shocked by the sudden move and doesn’t even have time to reciprocate before it’s over. 

His forehead resting on hers, his hand cradling the side of her neck, he whispers, “Thank you.” 

Danneel’s starting to wonder if this is all a dream. It’s unusual for her husband to make declarations and be all soft and mushy. 

“Go,” she says with a lingering kiss to his still-furry-until-tomorrow cheek, “Jared needs you.” 

\---

In the morning, Jensen wakes before Jared. Unceremoniously almost falling off the sofa because he’s fairly certain he fell asleep in bed next to wife last night. 

He catches himself with the coffee table but ends up smacking his head on something pointy. Twisting to his right, he finds Jared’s elbow sticking out from under the pillow his head is currently lying on. 

“Oh...right. Yes,” he mutters to himself as he rights himself and scratches his chest. Yawning as he tries to figure out what to do. First things first…

“Coffee… need coffee.” 

He pads into the kitchen to the joy of his toddlers. They immediately start calling for him and both he and Danneel hurry to shush them. 

“Shhh, babies, Uncle Jared is sleeping. We don’t want to wake him, now do we?” Danneel says as she deposits a pancake on each of their color-coded plates. They found that assigning each twin a certain color cuts down on the number of arguments between them. 

Arrow shakes her head obediently, but Zeppelin and JJ both perk up at the mention of Jared’s name. 

“Uncle Jared’s here?! Mama, can I play with Shep?” the little boy yells. Danneel walks over to him to diffuse the rapidly deteriorating situation. 

Jensen sits down at the table and cuts up Arrow’s breakfast then takes a healthy sip from his favorite mug. Danneel already filled it with coffee for him. The painter of his _World’s Greatest Dad_ mug sits down beside him. 

“Morning, Jaybird.” 

“Morning.” 

Jensen frowns. His oldest daughter looks upset. 

“Did Zep steal your Barbie again?” 

She giggles, “What? No.” 

He scratches his chin in mock concentration. “Hmmm… your demo CD got turned down by the record label?” 

Her smile grew until he can’t help but smirk. He leans forward and removes the hair tie that is barely hanging on then gently smoothes her hair back as he talks. 

“So what’s the matter then?” 

She sighs (much too heavily for a five-year-old in Jensen’s opinion) and plays with the ruffles on her Elsa nightgown. 

“Is Uncle Jared okay?” 

Jensen glances over his daughter’s head and makes eye contact with his wife. Danneel gives a small shake of her head. Now that he has the information he needs, he goes back to fixing JJ’s ponytail. 

“I don’t know. I think maybe he’s having a bad day.” 

There is a small selection of hair ties, ribbons, and bows on the table and Jensen asks her to pick what hairstyle she wants. 

“Can I have a Jasmine pony today?” she asks. 

“Ah-ah, JJ, what do you say?” Danneel reminds her from across the table. 

JJ turns those pretty brown eyes on Jensen. “Please, Daddy?” 

He smiles and gives her a nod. “What color?” 

“Um, blue. So it will go with my dress.” 

He grabs the sparkly blue hair ties and slides the rest back into the bag Danneel labeled _JJ HAIR_. His wife seems to think he isn’t capable of remembering which items belong to which of their children. Jensen will never admit it but sometimes, she is right. 

He resumes combing his daughter’s hair, but this time he smoothes it into a high ponytail at the top of her head. 

“This high?” 

Jensen learned the hard way to verify the placement _before_ securing it. 

“Um, a little back, please.” 

He moves it further back. “Here?” 

“Yeah.” 

“Good morning. Would you like some breakfast? I made extra pancakes.” 

Jensen looks up from his task when Danneel speaks up. He follows her gaze to the door and nods at their yawning houseguest. 

“There’s some stuff on the chair if you want to change, but as you can see, the Ackles clan is rocking the just-rolled-out-of-bed look today so you fit right in.” 

Jared gives him a small smile and takes the empty seat between the chair JJ sat in and Danneel’s.

Both Jensen and his wife know it is best to just act normal when Jared is having an off day so they continue as if nothing changed. Jensen resumes doing JJ’s hair while Danneel places a plate in front of Jared and quickly removes what is left on Zeppelin’s so he won’t play with it. His ‘playthings’ usually tend to end up scattered on the floor or thrown at the wall. 

JJ interrupts Jensen’s memory of the last time they accidentally left condiments on the table while eating hotdogs. Fun fact: Danneel’s mustard yellow shirt isn’t actually _mustard_ yellow. 

“Can I have the one you did last time?” 

“Um… sure…” Jensen replies, looking to his wife for help. 

Danneel gives him a clueless look, addresses their daughter, “Jaybird, why don’t you tell Daddy what you liked about it.” 

“Oh, um, I really liked the braided part. It was pretty… like Elsa’s.” 

Jensen isn’t particularly knowledgable about braiding hair, but since JJ’s has gotten so long, he’s been trying to learn. Each time he is home, he braids her hair in a new way, which means there are several variations she could be talking about. 

Jared must see him struggling because he sets down the piece of toast he is eating and smiles at his not-quite niece. 

“Let’s see… you’ve got one… two… three rubber bands? So that must mean your Daddy’s giving you a Jasmine pony?” 

“Uh-huh. But Daddy makes it special.” 

Jared sips his orange juice and purses his lips at her. She giggles. He leans close to the little girl and whispers, “ _How does he make it special_?” 

Playing along with him, JJ loudly whispers back, “ _He braids the middle part so it’s like Elsa_ and _Jasmine all in one!”_

Jared offers her a conspiratory wink. “That’s pretty cool.” 

“Yeah, none of the other girls in my class have had it like that.” 

Jared sits back in his chair. Jensen mouths _thank you_ and quickly gets back to work. 

After he finishes up JJ’s Elsa-Jasmine hybrid ponytail, he accepts a kiss from her and the twins before Danneel shuffles them all from the kitchen. 

Jensen isn’t sure how skittish Jared might be so he starts with something easy. 

“How’d you sleep?”

“Fine. Thanks for uh, letting me crash here.” 

“Course. You know the couch is always there if you need it.” 

“Yeah, I know.” 

A few moments pass, Jensen sipping his coffee while Jared’s fork lightly scrapes the plate as he finishes his pancakes. 

“Deck?” Jensen asks the other man as he rises to refill his mug. It’s definitely going to be a three-cup kind of morning. 

Jared shrugs. “Sure.” 

They walk out after grabbing something to cover up with. It is Mid-January, so the weather is still cold though the sun is shining. 

The sprawling deck was installed shortly before JJ was born. Jensen and Danneel love entertaining on it or watching as the kids swim in the pool. Some nights they just sit out there sharing a bottle of wine and listening to the sounds of Austin. 

Jensen takes a seat in his usual chair while Jared opts to stand at the railing and look out over the water. It is such a familiar scene. Their families often go boating together or hang out in the yard laughing as the kids run around with the dogs in the summertime. Then, in the early fall, Gen and Jared occasionally join the Ackles around the firepit to watch as the kids chase after fireflies. 

“Danneel called Gen last night so you don’t have to worry.” 

“Thanks.” 

It is quiet out there, most people still sleeping in, a few brave ones out for a jog in the chilly morning air. Jensen doesn’t pressure Jared to talk or explain anything. He just sits and enjoys his coffee. 

After a while, Danneel comes out to let Jensen know she is taking the kids to the store with her. They don’t discuss Jared though Danneel does glance over at her friend a few times before kissing her husband goodbye. 

With the caffeine in his system, Jensen is itching to do something. He isn’t a huge fan of sitting still for long periods and according to his watch, they’ve already been out there just listening to the gentle waves and quiet whistle of the wind for over an hour. 

He stands and stretches, joining Jared at the railing. Jensen bumps him with his shoulder. 

“Looks like a nice day for a run. What do you think?” 

After a moment, Jared turns to face him. 

“Sounds good.” 

\---

Jensen normally runs five miles _tops_ so when the tracker on his watch announces he just passed the nine-mile mark and Jared suggests they stop for a break, he readily agrees. 

“You okay there, old man? Look like you’re going to keel over.” Jared laughs when Jensen doubles over with his hands on his knees. 

Too out of breath to come up with a decent comeback, Jensen settles for “Aw, screw you.” 

Jared just continues to take pleasure in his misery and claps him on the back. Jensen stumbles forward and turns to glare at the younger man. Jared hands him a bottle of water and Jensen happily takes it. Guzzling half before dumping some over his head. 

“I… still… can’t believe… you do this… every day?” 

Jared takes the opportunity to stretch his legs then jogs in place. He shakes his head and Jensen watches the spray from his sweaty hair land on the concrete at his feet. 

“Nah, not every day. Sometimes I swim a few laps or just run around with the…” The happy exhausted smile falls from Jared’s face as he trails off. 

Jensen sits down at the base of the tree by the path and drapes his arms on his knees. 

“Jared?” 

Seemingly coming out of a fog, Jared shakes his head again and pastes a way-too-eager smile back on his face. 

“Huh? Oh! Oh, yeah. So I either run or do some other form of cardio.” 

“Jared.” 

An awkward shuffle of feet, hair tucked behind his ear. 

“Yeah?” 

“Jared, what’s going on?” 

“... nothing.” 

Jensen sighs. He hates using tough love, but sometimes with Jared, it is necessary. 

“Really? You showed up at my door at four o’clock in the morning because _nothing_ ’s wrong?” 

Jared shoves a hand through his hair in a nervous gesture Jensen is very familiar with. “Yeah?” 

“Right. Pajamas, messy hair, no shoes-- seriously, Jare, why weren’t you wearing any shoes? Your feet must have been freezing.” 

“... I wasn’t wearing shoes?” 

“Uh, no. Just your pajamas.”

“Huh. I must’ve left them at the house after we...” Again, the glazed look comes over his eyes and Jensen’s concern grows. 

“Did something happen with Gen?” 

“No, it wasn’t Gen, it was--” Lip chewing, feet shuffling. Jared takes a deep breath and speaks directly to the ground. “It was Tom.” 

Now that Jared admitted the cause, Jensen just waits. He knows further details will soon follow. 

“I promised him a few weeks ago that we would go camping on Friday the 13th. He thinks it’ll be spooky in the woods and said it would be really cool if we went. So I agreed.” 

Jensen flips through his mental calendar as he takes another drink of water. _The 13th...the 13th…_ There is something about that date… 

“We’ve been planning it out for the last two weeks, you know? Where we’re going to stay, what trails we want to hike, how many bags of marshmallows to bring…” 

Wait a minute… the 13th? That is the night the network execs are taking them and their wives out to dinner. 

“He got all excited and he told his friends and he’s been bragging about it to Shep…” Jared plops down beside him, buries his head in his hands, “But then last night, Gen and I were talking about the dinner and Tom overheard us. He was so upset and at first, I didn’t know why. When I realized…”

“What happened?” Jensen quietly asks. 

“I apologized to him but he was so upset. He started yelling about how we never get to do anything together, just him and me, that I’m always gone. Gen tried to calm him down but he was so angry, Jensen. I’ve never seen him like that.” 

“Jared--” 

“He told me he hated me! That he wished I could be like his friends’ dads. He said he hates the show and my job and he doesn’t ever want me to go back. God, Jensen, the look on his face… Seeing how bad I hurt him? I feel like the worst father in the world.” 

Jensen looks at his friend in alarm. 

“Hey, no, don’t do that. You are not a terrible father. You love your kids. You would give the world to them if you could.

“Yes, it sucks sometimes, I know that I do. But we knew this would be hard, Jare. We knew that the show would take us away from them more than we really wanted. 

“Remember what you told me? When JJ refused to talk to me after I missed her first dance class? You reminded me that its quality, not quantity that matters. That as long as we make an effort to really make the most out of the time we have with them, that’s what counts.”

Jared plucks a piece of frosty grass and twirls it between his thumb and finger. 

“I’m not sure that’s true anymore, though. The boys are getting older and they’re more aware now. They know that I have a job that keeps me in Vancouver for five days at a time, but they also know that there are other things I _choose_ to do.”

“The conventions?” 

“Among others, yeah. I could be spending that time with _them_ but I don’t.” 

“Do you like going to the conventions?” 

“I love it! But--” 

“Does it make you happy to be there? Meet the fans?” 

“Of course, it does, but--” 

“Then stop blaming yourself, Jared. It’s okay to enjoy it. It’s okay to have fun and laugh and goof around instead of spending every free second with your kids. It’s called living, Jared. We can’t make everybody happy.” 

“They’re our kids, Jensen…” 

“I know. Do I wonder if JJ is going to hate me for missing a lot of important moments? Sure. Do I let it keep me up at night and eat away at me? No. I do my damndest not to let it take away the time I have with her now. I can’t change what hasn’t happened. The only thing I can do-- _you_ can do-- is try our best to balance it all.” 

“It’s getting harder.” 

“Yeah, it is.” 

“I don’t know if I can keep doing this.” 

“If you’re talking about the show, then okay. We’ll call Mish and set up a meeting to talk it over.”

Jared looks over at him. “Really? You’d do that?” 

“Dude, I’m almost forty-five years old. I’ve been at this so long I barely remember my life before I moved to L.A. Would I miss Dean? Absolutely. Would it be hard to let go of the show and say goodbye to the crew? Hell yeah, it would. But… I don’t know, it might be kind of nice to coach a soccer team or be more active at the brewery. Have sex with my wife more than twice a month.”

“Danneel wanting another baby?”

Jensen does a full-body shiver. Jared laughs. 

“God, I hope not. We can barely manage the three we’ve got.” 

They sit there in companionable silence just looking out over the river until Jensen finally speaks up. 

“Look, Jared if it’s about the show, we’ll handle it. No problem. But if it’s not?” He pauses to stand, holds out a hand to Jared. 

“You’re not alone, Jared. My door is always open. Gen loves you. The kids love you. Hell, sometimes I think my kids like you more than me. If you need to talk and I’m busy or you don’t think I’d get it, there’s Misha, Bob, Danneel, your parents, Megan, Jeff, your therapist.” 

Jared grabs his hand and Jensen hauls him to his feet, wrapping him in a tight hug. 

“We’re here for you, Jared. You don’t have to do it alone.” 

“Thanks, man.”

Jensen slaps him on the back and smiles. 

"Anytime, brother."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I do not own any of the Ackles or Padaleckis. A few things are based on what I've heard them talk about during conventions, but most of it is just my imagination.
> 
> Here's the link to the video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Ah2TSOAygc&t=441s


	7. Convention Blues

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jensen loves the fans... usually.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was speechless after watching this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=48JXaX8FAiw
> 
> It was so awkward and cringe-worthing, but I did love seeing Jensen stand up for Jared.

Jensen started yelling as soon as the convention organizer entered the green room, “ _ WHAT THE FUCK WAS THAT! I blame Jared for everything?! Why the fuck would you let her ask that question! I thought that’s what the screening process was for! To avoid shit like THAT!”  _

“Jensen, I understand that you’re upset, but I can’t control the fans. Some of them lie on the question cards. We can’t stop them from lying.” The woman held out her hands, hoping to placate the irate man.

“ _ Don’t _ . Don’t you  _ dare _ try to cover your ass right now! No, you know what?” He snarled at her and pointed to the door, “Get out.” When she didn’t move, he narrowed his eyes. There was no missing the threat in his voice, “ _ Get. Out. GO!” _

Jared whimpered next to him and he wrapped his arms tighter around the other man. Misha, Mark, and Rob exchanged a frightened look and ushered the rest of the cast from the room so the two men could be alone. 

Jensen rested his chin on top of Jared’s head and whispered, “You okay?” 

Jared didn’t say anything, he only started to sob against his shirt. 

“Aw, Jay. Don’t let her get to you. She’s just some dumb kid. She doesn’t  _ know _ you, not like I do. Okay? What happened to her mom wasn’t your fault and that  _ stupid website _ …” 

He pulled back and peered into his co-star’s face. He used his thumb to wipe Jared’s tears and then gently kissed his forehead, “I’m so sorry, Jay. You shouldn’t have had to deal with that. Believe me, Steph is going to get a piece of my mind before we leave tonight!” 

“Jen, don’t… please? I just want to forget it ever happened…” 

Jensen looked at him in disbelief, “Please tell me you’re joking.”

Jared shook his head, “I’m serious, Je--” Jensen rose from the couch and started pacing, waving his hands in the air as he spoke. 

“Are you fucking kidding me? We have to address this  _ now _ ! If we don’t, they’ll think they can send up anyone and we’ll just deal with it! That’s bullshit! We don’t deserve to sit up there and have people insult us!”

Jared sunk back into the cushions, “Jens--” 

“NO!” Jensen pointed to the door and then looked back at Jared, “That wasn’t right! She shouldn’t have been allowed to ask that. There are good people who paid a helluva lot of money to be here and had legitimate questions to ask and instead, they picked  _ her _ ! That’s bullshit, Jared! 

"They allowed it to happen. There’s no way that there wasn’t a sign that she was shady. Even if that wasn’t the question she submitted, there must have been  _ something _ that suggested she wasn’t just looking for a good time! We deserve a fucking explanation, Jay. Because if that’s the way things are going to continue, then I won’t do it. That was awful, Jay. Awkward as hell, rude, disrespectful… I wanted to punch that girl in the face for what she said.” 

Jared gave a small smile, “Thank you for resisting. It would have been ten times worse if you got kicked out for assaulting an adolescent girl.”

“Yeah, well, it would’ve been worth it.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> No copyright intended. I do not own the video.


	8. The Critic's Choice Award Goes To...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Of course, Jensen comes down with the flu right when he and Jared have to present an award... on live television.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Although Jensen and Jared did present at the 2014 Critic's Choice Awards, the rest is made up as far as I know. Also, Genevieve wasn't there, but I included her in this version. 
> 
> Check out this video if you want to see the boys looking snazzy in their tuxes: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d5C0BJkd0ME
> 
> Or this one if you want to watch the One Tree hill quiz Danneel participated in: https://www.popsugar.com/entertainment/One-Tree-Hill-Cast-Taking-One-Tree-Hill-Trivia-Quiz-45505945

Jensen leans forward in his seat so his head hangs directly over the lined champagne bucket. Danneel keeps her hand on his back as Jared and Genevieve watch from the other side of the limo. They’re on their way to the award show but poor Jensen is sick. He developed a fever last night and started feeling nauseous around two this morning. Danneel has been dosing him with flu meds all day, but he is definitely getting worse. 

He’s shivering but refuses to put on his tuxedo jacket in case things get messy. He hasn’t thrown up yet, but his appetite has completely vanished, even the thought of food makes him queasy. 

The chauffeur thankfully provided supplies after Danneel called earlier to give him a heads up about the sick passenger. She has her husband’s suit jacket, winter coat, gloves, and scarf on the seat beside her along with her purse and their tickets. Jensen had shed the extra layers about five minutes into the drive. Jared’s been forcing him to sip water and though it hasn’t made a reappearance yet, they still have an hour to go. Meanwhile, Genevieve is ready for the aftermath with tissues and a pack of mint gum waiting in her bag. 

The silence is driving Jensen crazy. He desperately wants something to distract him from the churning in his stomach. He feels like crap. 

“Seriously, guys? Someone talk… please.” 

Danneel cards her fingers through his hair, “Honey…”

Jensen belches and clenches his jaw, feeling sicker. 

Jared rests his hand on his friend’s shoulder and speaks softly, “Dude. It’s okay. If you need to puke, just do it. Better you do it here then while we’re up on stage…” 

“I’d rather not do it--” Jensen pauses, his fist against his mouth, then continues, “--at all.” 

Danneel glances at her husband worriedly. “Maybe we should’ve stayed home. You should be sleeping right now, not about to get your picture taken and present an award while feeling awful.” 

Genevieve reaches into her clutch when she feels it vibrate. She checks her phone and sees a text from the babysitter letting her know that all of the kids have finished dinner and are now deciding which movie to watch. There’s a picture of JJ and Tom standing with hands on their hips trying to convince Shep, Zep, Odette, and Arrow to choose their pick. She smiles and nudges Jared to show him. Jared looks down at it and smiles then kisses her temple, careful not to mess up her hairstyle. 

Across from them, things are going downhill fast. Jensen hunches over the lined bucket, panting hard and gagging loudly. 

“Just breathe, Jay, ” Danneel whispers.

Jensen groans, “Oh, God…” 

She rubs his back when he retches dryly, “Shhh… it’s okay. I know, it sucks.” 

Gen and Jared watch helplessly as Jensen gets ever closer to the main event. The heaving sounds so painful and he hasn’t brought anything up yet. Jared looks away when his friend starts drooling into the bucket afraid that he may end up joining Jensen if he doesn’t. Gen rubs his thigh and clasps Jared’s hand in hers. He leans down so he can rest his forehead against hers. He doesn’t look up when he hears the first productive cough splash into the bucket. 

“There you go…” Danneel soothes her husband knowing that he’s embarrassed by all of this. 

Jensen’s stomach contracts and he dips his head below the rim as the water he drank rushes back out. He spits and waits. A deep belch coaxes up the next wave. He tries to focus on Danni’s hand on his back, instead of the feel of the cold metal beneath his fingertips. He snorts to clear his nose and hears Jared gag in the background. He doesn’t even have a moment to feel guilty though because his body decides that it has had enough and it wants the illness  _ out _ . 

“Fuu--” 

Vomit sprays from his lips and coats the side of the champagne bucket as well as his hand. Danneel grimaces and digs in her purse for a kleenex to clean it off. She wipes off his fingers then blots the sweat at his hairline. He manages one breath and then it just pours out of him. It comes out fast and thick and he hacks to clear his throat. Danneel alternates between patting him gently on the back and rubbing wide circles. When he can finally breathe again, he feels light-headed. He waits for a few minutes but when nothing else happens, he sighs. 

“ _ Dee… _ ” 

Danneel perks up and brushes his hair back, “Yeah, hon?” 

“Can you hand me a kleenex?” He burps softly and grimaces at the aftertaste. 

“Course. Here you go.” She gives him some tissues, takes the bucket. She sets it on the floor and covers it with the towel. Genevieve offers to dump it and it’s only then that Jensen realizes they’ve stopped. He blows his nose and wipes his teary eyes. Jared hands him the water and now that he knows they aren’t moving, Jensen takes advantage and leans out of the car to rinse his mouth and spit into the grass. When he sits back in his seat, he notices that his wife has removed her shoes and the towel is laid over her lap. 

She smiles, “C ‘mere, sicko.” She pats her thigh and gestures, “Lay down. We still have about half an hour before we’ll be there. Try to get some rest.” 

Usually, Jensen would protest, seeing as how they’re in the company of friends, but right now he’s too sick to care. He lies down on his side and lays his head in Danneel’s lap. She strokes his hair and when he shivers, she picks up her coat and drapes it over him.  Pretty soon, Jensen’s breath evens out as he falls asleep and the other three passengers discuss their plan of action for the evening. 

When they pull into the line of cars leading towards the venue, Danneel rubs Jensen’s shoulder to wake him.

“ _ Jay… honey, we’re here.”  _

His eyes open briefly then clench tightly shut. Gen and Jared share a worried look. Danneel frowns at her husband, “Jay? Are you okay?” 

“Just need a minute.” Jensen licks his lips and takes slow, even breaths. After a few moments, he carefully sits up. Everyone waits to see what’s going to happen. Danneel watches him closely while Jared holds the bucket in front of him. Gen is quietly conversing with the driver to find out how long the line is, how much time they have to get Jensen presentable. 

Jensen coughs. Danneel raises her eyes to Jared. Jared moves forward and situates the champagne bucket between Jensen’s legs. The girls both jump when Jensen speaks. 

“Water… ” 

Gen hands the bottle over to Danni who then offers it to her husband. He very slowly unscrews the cap and lifts it to his lips. He takes a small sip then pauses. When it stays down, he risks another drink. That one doesn’t settle well and he furrows his brow, clenches his jaw as his mouth fills with saliva. He gives the bottle back to Danneel and places the back of his hand against his mouth as he moves to the edge of the seat and leans over the bucket. He burps wetly and spits a mouthful of water out. A sharp cough ushers up the rest of it. Jared looks away while Danneel grimaces at the drool on Jensen’s mouth and uses a tissue to gently wipe it away. 

“How… much time do we have?” Jensen asks quietly. 

Genevieve responds, “He’s estimating at least half an hour.” Jensen nods. 

Danneel brushes back his hair, “Think you’re done for now? We need to get you ready.” 

“Yeah, go ahead,” Jensen rubs his forehead with one hand and rests the other on his upset stomach. The girls move onto either side of him while Jared remains directly across from the sick man. He helps Jensen with his tuxedo jacket and bowtie while Danneel fixes his hair and Genevieve blots his face with the towel, adds a little makeup to help him appear less sick. 

“Here.” She offers him a stick of gum and he nods at her in thanks before unwrapping it and slipping it between his chapped lips. 

By the time the limo arrives at the carpet, Jensen is completely dressed, chapstick-ed, minty fresh, and wearing a believable smile. He and Danneel allow the other couple to get out first then follow them onto the red carpet. 

He pauses before the photo staging area and Danni turns to him, concerned that he’s feeling sick again. “Hon? You alright?” 

He shuts his eyes against the glare of all the flashbulbs and grasps her hand tightly. “Yeah, just a bit dizzy.” 

“Okay.”

The event coordinator gestures for them to move forward. Danneel cuddles close to him and whispers, “Okay, here we go. Let me know if you need to stop. I don’t care if they throw a fit, I’d rather you  _ not  _ throw up or pass out.” 

He snorts quietly, “I’m okay right now. Let’s go.” 

The paparazzi beckon them over to the lighted area and the couple poses side by side, then Daneel steps aside so they can get a few shots of just Jensen. He sways slightly and she worries he’s going to fall, but then Jared is there. The other man grins wide and slips his arm around Jensen playing up their friendship for the cameras. The girls join them and the group moves over to the next photo spot. This time, the photographers want a shot with all of them so they line up with Jensen and Jared in the middle. 

Jensen’s smile fades and he turns his head towards the backdrop. Danneel tilts her head towards him and whispers, “You okay?”

The sick man shakes his head minutely and coughs. Danneel sneaks her hand over to Jared’s back and presses slightly. He looks over at her and frowns when he sees Jensen. He speaks quietly, barely moving his lips as the flashing continues. Genevieve transfers a tissue into her husband’s hand and gestures to their carpet chaperone. The woman comes over and converses with her while Jared and Danneel do their best to cover up Jensen’s worsening condition. 

Jensen groans and swallows as he feels something rise in his throat. The staff member glances at him worriedly. Jared hands him the kleenex, Jensen takes a step back and turns around so he’s facing away from the cameras. His stomach contracts and he holds the kleenex to his mouth as he fights to keep it down. He coughs and his cheeks fill with sour liquid. Grimacing, he spits it into the tissue and carefully balls it up so it is hidden in his hand. He feels it ooze between his fingers and swallows down more spit. He licks his lips then turns back around to finish the photo op so they can move on. He ignores the questions being shouted at him and breathes evenly through his nose. 

Once the chaperone confirms they are done, Jensen quickly walks towards the men’s room. Now that they are off the carpet, Jensen jerks forward with a deep gag. He slaps a hand over his mouth and runs. Jared follows him into the largest stall. Jensen lunges for the toilet and spews his mouth’s contents into the water as Jared locks the door then removes Jensen’s jacket. 

At this point, it is mostly bile he brings up but the pain is intense. Tears slide down Jensen’s face as he hacks and retches. Jared holds him steady, offers him some toilet paper. Jensen takes it and cleans his mouth off but he groans when yet another cramp squeezes his empty abdomen. 

“Jesus… why won’t it stop…” 

Jared frowns in sympathy, “You’re sick, dude. It’s not going to stop until the virus is out of your system.” 

Jensen sighs and exits the stall, heads over to the row of sinks. He rinses his mouth and washes his hands. He dry heaves a few times and Jared stands nearby, waiting to see if Jensen needs him. 

The girls are waiting outside of the restroom for them when they exit. Danneel immediately moves towards her sick husband. 

“Are you okay?” she asks Jensen. 

He sighs and rests his head on hers, “There’s nothing left in my stomach. Now I’m just exhausted.” 

“Poor baby.” 

Jared turns to his wife to ask her how much time is left before he and Jensen have to present. 

Gen checks her phone and grimaces, “A little under two hours. Think you guys are going to make it?” 

The men share a glance. Jensen shrugs so Jared answers her with a weak smile, “Hopefully. If not, it’s going to be one helluva presentation.” 

Again, Danneel contacted their liaison for the show earlier in the day to let her know that Jensen was sick. The woman assured her that they could switch them to a table near an exit in case he needs to leave suddenly. 

Their table is almost-full when they arrive to take their seats. There’s an A-list couple that gives Danneel a slight thrill as well as a few people they’ve seen at events before. Jared and Gen are seated about fifty feet in front of them. 

“Jensen! It’s so wonderful to see you again. How is your brood?” Danneel tries to answer for him but someone else grabs her arm to get her attention. 

“Danneel, right? I saw you do that quiz with Hilarie and Antwon. You killed them! How was it seeing them again after so many years?” 

“Uh, it was great. But I speak to Hilarie pretty regularly. We, uh, go up to her and Jeff’s farm every summer…” Jensen lays his head down on the table and she trails off, “Excuse me.” 

There are still fifteen minutes before the food will be served, but Danneel waves down one of the ushers standing nearby. The man looks confused but walks over to her and bends down so he can hear her. 

She keeps one hand on her husband’s back while she asks for a glass of water. 

The man gets flustered and starts to tell her that drinks will be served with the meal but she interrupts him, “Look. I know, drinks with the meal, I got it. But see, my husband isn’t feeling well and I really think a glass of water would help.” 

He hesitates. She adds, “It doesn’t have to be sparkling or anything. Just plain tap water is fine. He just needs a little something to help settle his stomach.” 

Jensen blushes and buries his head further in his arms. Sometimes, he wishes that his wife would be a little more discreet.

Someone taps his arm and Jensen raises his head to see Danni, Jared, and one of the ceremony employees standing around him. 

“There he is!” The young woman smiles big and tugs at his jacket. Jensen frowns in confusion, Danneel leans forward and kisses his cheek. 

“It’s time for you two to head back, honey.” 

Jensen shakes his head, “Oh! Right. Yeah, 'course.” He turns to the woman with the headset frantically checking her watch, “Sorry about that. Please. Lead the way.”

He and Jared follow her down a long hallway that leads to the backstage area. It’s a madhouse. People are rushing by carrying shoes and scripts, there’s an announcer practicing on one side and an entire cast of actors waiting to present after them. Jensen’s hands start to shake and he wets his lips nervously. He hates presenting. He’s never been a fan of talking on stage unless he’s in a play and award shows are the worst because everyone’s expectations are higher than normal. 

Their ‘handler’ gives each man a bottle of water and instructs them to drink at least half before going on stage. Jensen tunes her out. The bottle seems to mock him as the noise grows in his ears and his breath comes in desperate gasps. Jared keeps a careful eye on him as the handler continues to tell him all the rules. He steps toward Jensen and lays a hand on his shoulder. Jensen doesn’t acknowledge his presence and Jared searches for somewhere they can sit down for a minute. He locates an empty couch away from most of the commotion and leads Jensen over to it. 

“There’s a couch behind you, you can sit,” Jared says quietly as he gestures to one of the calmer looking employees. 

The girl, Jenny, doesn’t look more than seventeen but when Jared asks if she can bring them a trash can for Jensen, she rushes over to a nearby room and grabs one right away. She asks their names then walks over to the snack table to see if they have any crackers. 

Their handler comes back and stands in front of them with a disgusted look on her face, “You two are on in five minutes! You have to drink the water! What are you two even doing--” 

“Alright, Mr. Padalecki, I found a small package of oyster crackers. Will those work?” 

Jared looks at Jenny and thanks her, then opens Jensen’s water and the packet of crackers. He gives Jensen the water first to appease the cranky woman and downs his own in one go. The lady huffs, irritated, and Jensen glares at her then chugs half of the water. Jenny follows them over to the wings where they will be walking on stage and helps Jared coax Jensen into eating a few crackers. 

The director gives the cue. They walk out. 

Three women anxiously watch as Jared and Jensen take their place and follow the prompter. Danneel knows her husband and she recognizes his frequent swallows, tight smile, and slight fidgeting. This isn't his usual nervousness, he's fighting not to blow chunks on stage. Genevieve notices Jensen’s voice is much more subdued and Jared keeps casting covert glances at his friend. Jenny catches the moment Jared takes over Jensen’s lines for him and curses under her breath. She grabs the forgotten trash can and waits at the side of the stage for them. 

Jensen manages two of his lines, then stays silent as Jared finishes up. The bright lights are heating him up and making him dizzy. He tries to seek out Danneel or Gen in the crowd but there are too many people. He maintains the forced smile and grits his teeth against the onslaught of sour spit flooding his mouth. He wants to bolt but he can’t. This is a live broadcast. As soon as they present the award and the lights dim to signal their exit, Jensen quickly makes his way to the wings. Jared follows closely behind him while the award winners awkwardly trail after them. 

Jensen gags and speedwalks the last few feet with his hand over his mouth. He jerks forward with another deep gag and Jenny quickly removes his mic while Jared picks up the trash can and ushers them further back into the room. 

More sick gushes into Jensen's mouth and vomit splashes onto the floor as Jensen hurries to position himself over the bin. Jenny says nothing, grabs the mop nearby and cleans the mess then hands Jared a roll of paper towels.

“No need to rush. You guys are done, so whenever Mr. Ackles is ready, you can head out. Will you be going back to your seats or… ?” 

Jared keeps one hand wrapped across Jensen’s chest and smiles at her, “I think we’ll probably head out as soon as we get our wives.” 

“No need. I’ll let them know to grab Mrs. Ackles as well as your wife and have one of our security team escort them to the back doors.” A large man in a  _ SECURITY _ tee-shirt walked up and she gestures at him, “This is Tom, he’ll help you guys out when you’re ready.” 

“Thank you for all of your help, Jenny. We’re sorry about the inconvenience.” 

“Oh, it’s no problem, Mr, Padalecki. Most announcers get nervous in one way or another. I hope Mr. Ackles starts to feel better once you get outside. It was a pleasure to meet you both.” 

The ride back to the hotel is much quieter, Jensen and Danneel both sleeping while Jared and Gen check on the kids. Although Arrow and Zeppelin accept Gen’s reasoning for their parents not being on the phone, JJ demands to see them so Gen turns the phone around and shows her. Danneel is sitting on Jensen’s lap, one arm around his shoulders. Her shoes are on the floor and she’s wrapped up in her husband’s coat. Jensen has his arm around her waist and his head rests on her chest. There’s a champagne bucket at his feet and his jacket is lying on the floor with his wife’s shoes. Both Jensen’s tie and Danneel’s hair are loose. 

Gen smiles at the little girl and winks, “See? Told ya.” 

JJ giggles and asks her to tell them goodnight for her. Gen agrees. Tom and Shep get back on the phone and exchange air kisses with her and a now-sleeping Jared then lift Odette so she can do the same. 

“Okay, boys. We love you so much. We’ll be back home tomorrow in the afternoon. Be good for Grandma and Grandpa, okay?” 

“Love you, mama!” The kids shout before they hang up. 

Gen tucks her phone back into her purse and glances around the car at the three other passengers. She smiles and snuggles into her husband. It wasn’t the night they were expecting, but she thinks it turned out pretty well in the end. 


	9. First Class... For the Win

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sometimes, people make bad decisions...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow. This turned out a lot longer than I originally planned...

Immediately following the season fifteen wrap party, Jared and Jensen head straight to the airport. They’re catching the eleven o’clock flight to Austin where they will meet up with their wives. The four of them will then have about an hour to make it through security and over to Gate Seven-B where they’ll wait to board the plane that will take them to the warm sunny beaches of Maui. 

Thankfully, the two men have a little extra time to freshen up in the airport bathroom before they meet up with Genevieve and Danneel. Jared’s cotton shirt is soaking with sweat so he changes into a spare from his carry on while Jensen rinses his head under the faucet to rid himself of the sticky hair gel he wears--  _ wore _ \-- playing Dean Winchester. After a quick reapplication of deodorant and teeth-brushing session for both, they leave the restroom feeling refreshed-- fully ready to relax on this much-needed vacation. 

Entering the terminal, they have to look around for a second before they spot their wives.

Danneel is sitting with her back against one of the large concrete columns, reading a gossip magazine perched carefully on one bare knee. Her long auburn hair has been tamed into a thick braid draped over one shoulder-- any potential flyaways held at bay by the brightly colored scarf that compliments her soft brown eyes. Jensen still has no idea, almost  _ ten years later _ , how he managed to convince the sassy southerner to be his wife. 

Jared’s eyes are drawn to the petite brunette sitting beside Danneel. Gen chose a mid-length black dress and comfy sandals for her travel wear. She may just be in casual comfy clothes, but just seeing her has a warm glow washing over Jared’s body. He smiles, feeling at home for the first time in a week. 

Genevieve glances up from the video she’d been watching on her phone. Jared waves, Jensen nods. She nudges Danneel. “Hey, they’re here.” 

Jensen’s wife places her magazine on the empty seat between her and Gen then stretches before standing to greet him. Jensen gives her a quick kiss then settles into the seat she vacated. He’s exhausted after a long week of filming, not to mention the wrap party and the red-eye flight. 

Danneel smiles as she takes her place beside him. Now that her husband’s here, she no longer needs the cold cement for support, his warm body will work just fine. 

“Hey, hon’. How was the flight?” Genevieve asks Jared as they sit down beside the other couple. 

He places his arm around her shoulders, pulls her close before answering, “Not too bad... A little bumpy.” He looks over his shoulder, points to Jensen. “Kind of boring since  _ this guy _ decided it was nap time…” 

Jensen glances up from Dee’s magazine to arch one eyebrow and flip him off. Jared chuckles before turning his attention to Gen’s phone. She’s showing him pictures of the kids at a local aquarium. Ever the feisty one, Odette doesn’t seem impressed by anything except the sharks, but Tom and Shep have matching grins in almost every photo. It doesn’t seem to matter which sea creature they touch or educational activity they participate in, the boys have an unwavering air of excited curiosity that reminds Jared a lot of himself as a young kid. 

While the Padalecki’s discuss their children’s field trip, Jensen and Danneel disagree on  _ Who Wore It Better. _

“No way. I mean, she may have the boots, but what the hell is that top?” Jensen says, pointing to the first picture. “She looks like she’s wearing a trash bag!” 

Danneel rolls her eyes before explaining to him, “It’s not a trash bag, Jay, it’s a trapeze top.”

“A  _ what _ ?” 

“A  _ trapeze top _ . It flares out at the bottom. See?” She taps one long fingernail on the patent leather top the actress on the left is wearing. Danneel thinks she pulled it off pretty well. 

“It’s an extremely forgiving silhouette--” Deciding to have a little fun at her husband’s expense, she smirks, “I mean, I wore them after the twins...” 

Jensen squints at his wife. “You did?” Danneel puts on a confused look, to sell the serious nod. Jensen frowns. “Really...? ‘Cuz I don’t remember seeing you in anything like that…” 

Fighting a smile, she instead rolls her eyes once again. “You’re saying you don’t remember when I wore this  _ exact  _ top... to the store... three weeks after giving birth?” 

Her sarcasm is so thick Jensen almost kisses her again. He’s missed his wife’s sassy attitude. 

He huffs out a small laugh. “Touche.” Gesturing back to the glossy image, he says, “Can we at least agree that the necklace is a bit much?” 

Danneel purses her lips as she studies the gold snake decorating the woman’s decolletage. She hums, “I don’t know… I kind of like it…” 

Jensen groans. 

Jared and Gen watch with amused smiles as the older couple continues to debate. They both know that although Jensen may be a country boy at heart, he prides himself on fitting in with clothing trends while still showcasing his unique style.  _ Jared  _ would be happy in a pair of jeans and a tee-shirt most days, but Jensen prefers to dress up his look by adding accessories such as a scarf or cool pair of aviators even at home. 

Danneel also likes to layer up, but her style is a bit more _eye-catching_ than her husband’s. 

She loves wearing loud patterns with delicate jewels and sporting silky headbands and old concert tees. When given the choice between a simple, classic gown or an attention-getting number, she usually opts for the more daring piece. Low backs, short skirts, see-through panels, tasteful slits-- Danneel Ackles has rocked them all. 

_ “We’re now opening up boarding to any passengers who require assistance or are carrying strollers as well as our Priority and Sky Priority members. All Zone One passengers may now come up to the queue.”  _

While Danneel continues reading a  _ fascinating  _ article about eating clean, Jensen’s gaze drifts to the window where the large jet is waiting. He scrubs a hand across the back of his neck and sighs. He can’t wait to bury his feet in sun-warmed sand, listening to the sound of the ocean... 

The last few weeks have been hell for him and Jared. Between the fans’ escalating expectations regarding the finale and the emotionally tumultuous scenes between the Winchesters and their friends, it had been tough. Not only on Sam and Dean but also on the actors who’d portrayed them for the last fifteen years. 

He looked over at his former co-star. Jared was smiling, but Jensen could see the subtle lines of tension in his face. Neither man had been sleeping well lately and it was taking a toll. 

One thing was for sure, they  _ all _ needed this vacation...

_ “Okay, if your seat is located in Zone Two, you may line up.”  _

After the announcement, Jared and Genevieve stood to gather their belongings. Jared slid his bag over his shoulder then waited for Gen to grab her purse before they walked over to join the queue of other passengers anxiously waiting to board. They’d opted for a first-row seat so Jared would have more room for his long legs. 

Knowing their section was next, Jensen and Danneel started getting their things together as well.

As soon as Jensen stands up, however, the floor seems to tilt beneath his feet. He stumbles slightly, shaking his head.  _ Woah…  _

Danneel looks over at him, alarmed. “Jay?” she asks, placing a hand on his arm to help steady him. 

“I’m good,” Jensen lies, blinking to correct his suddenly blurry vision. “Head rush,” he offers when she doesn’t look convinced. 

_ “Zone Three may now enter the boarding area.”  _

Thankful for the perfectly-timed announcement, Jensen wraps his arm around her. “C’mon... that’s us.” Danneel gives him one last long look before finally nodding. She lets him guide her over to the line of passengers. 

When they get to the gate attendant, Jensen holds up his phone for her to scan their tickets. She smiles, gesturing to the jetway. “Thank you, Mr. Ackles... Mrs. Ackles. Have a good flight.” They nod at her then enter the tunnel. The wind howls outside, the largest gusts shaking the entire jetway as they walk towards the plane. Jensen’s head spins so badly he almost reaches out to steady himself against the wall. 

Boarding the plane, they showed the stewardess their tickets. She directs them to their seats. “Okay, let’s see... D18 and 19?” She points down the aisle. “They’ll be in the middle, on the right side four rows down from the first-class curtain divider. Your luggage compartments will be at the end of your row and each one is labeled with a seat number.” 

Because this is sort of a celebratory trip, the couples had decided to upgrade when booking their flights, so both Jensen and Danneel, as well as Jared and Gen, will be sitting in the Comfort Plus section. They’d receive extra snacks during the flight, free entertainment options, and the seats were further apart so neither over-six-foot man would feel cramped.

Danneel leads the way to their seats then gets situated while Jensen puts their bags away. He’s reaching over his head to make sure everything is secure when another dizzy spell hits him. He quickly sits down next to his wife, hoping she hadn’t noticed. He immediately chalks it up to being more tired than he thought when he yawns. Because even though he slept on the flight from Vancouver to here, he feels like he could easily sleep for another seven hours.

Danneel gets up to exchange a quick word with Gen before they take off and by the time she comes back, Jensen is asleep. 

The thirteen-hour flight is relatively quiet. Most passengers choose to sleep- since it’s a little after one when they depart- or watch the free in-flight movies. Jensen and Jared both opt for option number one, sleeping for six hours straight, while Gen and Danneel spend the time reading their books, watching a few movies, and dozing. 

Danneel is busy listening to her audiobook when Jensen wakes, groggy. His stomach feels a little unsettled so he asks one of the attendants for a can of ginger ale. If Danneel had heard, she would’ve known right away that he wasn’t feeling well. The only time he drinks ginger ale- other than when it’s mixed with Jack Daniels- is when he feels ill. Because all three of their children had inherited his preference, the Ackles’ always have some on hand at their Austin home. 

“Here you are, sir,” the attendant says, handing Jensen a cold can of Canada Dry. “Is there anything else I can get for you?” 

Feeling worse the longer he’s awake, he gives her a weak smile. “No, thank you.” 

When he pops the tab, Danneel glances over to see what he’s doing. Realizing it’s a fizzy beverage, she leans in to see what he’s got. You know, just in case she wants to steal a sip. 

She’s surprised, however, to see the familiar green can on his tray. 

Jensen takes a sip of his drink then leans back, closing his eyes. Having them open makes his dizziness ten times worse and it’s starting to make him feel queasy... 

Danneel removes her earbuds and tucks away her iPad. “Honey?” she says, leaning over to touch Jensen’s arm. “Are you alright?” 

Afraid to open his mouth in case the ginger ale decides to make a break for it, the actor shakes his head. That was a _ bad idea _ ... 

His stomach churns angrily as his body struggles to determine which way is up. Blowing out a breath, Jensen groans. When he places his head in his hands, Danneel quickly transfers the cup of ginger ale to her tray.

Now that she is aware of what’s going on--  _ knows _ there is something wrong with her husband, Danneel switches to Mom Mode. She hunts through the seat pockets, looking for an airsickness bag. However, she’s unable to find one so she pushes the call button. 

While waiting for an attendant to come over, she smoothes her hand over Jensen’s back. “Here-- Why don’t you try to have another sip,” she says, offering him his cup.

Gritting his teeth, Jensen raises his head only far enough off the tray table for her to help him take a small drink. Afterward, he lays back down. 

A woman wearing the airline’s insignia walks up, turns off the lit-up button. “Ma’am?” she says, bending down to speak to Danneel, “Is there something I can get for you?” 

Danneel looks over at her but keeps her voice low as she explains the situation. “--So could we have a few bags?” she finishes, “...just in case?” 

The attendant nods before rising. “Of course. I’ll be right back.” 

With the woman off to find something for Jensen to be sick into, Danneel returns to trying to figure out what is ailing him. Since he didn’t seem to want to speak right now, she had to rely on visual clues. His face is pale… and he looks tense-- like he’s concentrating really hard on something. Obviously, his stomach is bothering him... and he _definitely_ doesn’t want to move. It could be the flu, she thinks, but the timing is wrong. He’d already come down with a bug earlier in the year-- he should be good until JJ goes back to school, at least.

“Jay, honey, can you tell me what’s wrong? I asked the flight attendant to get you a sick bag, but I’m hoping you won’t have to use it.” 

She strokes her fingers through his gel-free hair, scritching gently. “Is it your head?” 

Deciding not to risk upsetting his equilibrium any further, he mumbles instead of shaking his head. “Feel like I’m on a Tilt-O-Whirl…” he says, relaxing minutely under her touch.

She frowns. “What do you mean…? Like afterward--when you feel sick?”

“No… I’m--” he has to swallow when his stomach threatens to revolt, “I’m dizzy as shit... Every time I open my eyes, the room spins.” 

Beside him, Danneel sighs, “ _ Jay... _ I thought you were going to wait until  _ after  _ the flight to start celebrating… No wonder you feel sick.” 

Out of habit, Jensen opens his eyes to glare at her. But he ends up gagging into his palm instead. He breathes slowly, takes another sip of his drink. Danneel anxiously watches for the attendant. 

Suddenly, the plane interior tips in front of Jensen’s eyes--and then, it begins to rock. Back and forth, like he’s on a boat instead of a seven-forty-seven. 

Jensen coughs wetly, sweat dripping down his neck as he begins to sway in his seat. He reaches for his seatbelt but it slips right out of his grasp. 

He keeps at it but, try as he might, Jensen can’t get the damn thing to stay still long enough for him to unbuckle it. 

Danneel sees him grow flustered. She reaches across to undo his lap belt. “Jay? You okay?” It’s silly of her to ask, but she doesn’t know what else to say. Finally, the attendant appears through the curtain, heading toward them with a stack of plain white bags. 

“I need-- I need to get out…” Jensen says between greasy swallows. 

Knowing what’s coming, Danneel accepts a bag from the attendant and hands it to her husband. “Just breathe, Jay...” 

Jensen shuts his eyes tightly, inadvertently tipping into Danneel. She holds him steady as he struggles fruitlessly against rising nausea. 

When he has to swallow twice in rapid succession, Danneel frowns. They’re out of time… 

She guides the hand clutching the airsickness bag closer to his face. Jensen moans, “ _ Dee...I-I can’t...”  _

Doing her best to soothe her husband’s mounting anxiety, Danneel brushes his hair off his forehead then kisses his temple. It throbs beneath her lips. 

“It’s okay, Jay… Just let it happen....” 

Jensen _really_ doesn’t want to get sick in the middle of a crowded flight, but he doesn’t have a choice-- with the next phantom dip of the floor, he ducks his head and brings the bag to his lips. 

Tasting tangy fizz, he doesn’t swallow. Instead, he lets it wash over his tongue as his body lurches sickly. Liquid pools in his cheeks, but he refuses to give in. However, with the next heave, his mouth reaches capacity and it splashes into the bag. The jerky movements brought on by heaving only make him feel worse, though and it isn’t long before the sub sandwich he had for lunch wants to come up as well. 

As sick as he feels, Jensen decides there is no way in hell he’s going to puke up his lunch into a little bag when there is a perfectly functional bathroom eight feet away. So, when there is a little lull before the impending evacuation of his stomach contents, the actor stands up on shaky legs. Danneel immediately rises with him, but he bats her hands away. Using the aisle seats to support himself, Jensen quickly stumbles over to the bathroom. 

As soon as he steps inside the tiny lavatory, instinct takes over. Jensen spins, barely managing to shut the door before he vomits noisily into the sink. Trying to catch his breath, he makes the mistake of opening his eyes. The metal basin isn’t filled with foamy puke like he was expecting, instead, it’s become thicker, almost creamy as it slides down the sides to disappear down the drain. Pivoting to aim the next wave into the actual toilet, Jensen collapses onto his knees. With a sick groan, he pukes again. This time, it looks so much like the mayo he slathered on his sandwich that he gags. 

As his stomach jolts and sloshes, the tiny room seems to shrink around him-- until it feels like he’s trapped in a washing machine. The walls dip and bend, flashes of shiny metallic melting into the textured laminate beneath his knees. Then, suddenly, everything begins spinning in the opposite direction and he loses his feeble grip on the toilet seat. With a disgusted shudder, he throws up on the floor. 

Jensen moans, desperate for everything to stop...fucking... moving... _ “Make it stop…” _

There’s a knock on the door.  _ “Sir? Are you alright in there?”  _ someone standing outside, heavy concern raising the pitch of their voice. 

While panting heavily as he fights his body’s need to evacuate everything in his system, Jensen doesn’t hear the squeak of the door when it suddenly opens.

Jared takes one look around the closet-like room and exclaims under his breath. “ _ Jesus Christ…”  _

Realizing he’s no longer alone, Jensen raises his head. Jared squats down in front of his best friend then helps him to sit against the wall. 

Jensen’s skin takes on a greenish tinge as soon as he is upright though and he falls onto Jared as he gets sick again. 

Instead of being grossed out by being covered in what used to be a turkey sandwich, bag of sour cream and onion chips, and a bottle of coconut water, Jared’s completely focused on trying to rouse the other man. 

“Jen-- hey, look at me,” Jared says loudly… but Jensen’s head continues to loll against his chest. When the older man’s body suddenly goes limp, Jared starts to panic. 

When Danneel asked him to check on Jensen a few minutes ago, Jared assumed his friend had probably had a bit too much to drink or maybe that he ate some bad seafood... But  _ this _ ? Jared has no idea what to do. 

He slaps Jensen’s cheek, hoping for some kind of response. “Jensen? Hey-- Jensen! Hey, wake up! C’mon, dude!” 

One of the attendants standing outside the door calls out, “Sir? We need you to move so we can check him out.” Her voice is anxious and behind her, most of their fellow passengers have awoken and are now trying to figure out what’s going on. 

A young man taps one of the flight attendants on her shoulder. “Do y’all need some assistance? I’m a paramedic. Maybe I can help.” 

Grateful to have someone there who might actually know what to do, they gesture for him to go ahead. He approaches the two men on the bathroom floor slowly, taking care not to spook the one who is still conscious. Crouching down beside him, he taps the man on the shoulder. 

Jared turns to look when someone enters the bathroom, shock and anger swirling in his typically calm hazel eyes. Before he can ask the guy what he is doing there, though, he speaks. 

“Hi there, my name is Scott. I’m a licensed paramedic and I thought maybe I could help?. Do you think I could take a look at your friend for a minute?” 

Jared blinks twice before responding quietly. “... _ Jensen _ .” 

“That’s your friend’s name?” Scott casually asks as he accepts a pair of latex gloves from one of the attendants then begins to feel around Jensen’s neck, checking for any signs of anaphylaxis. “Do you know if Jensen has any allergies?” 

Jared shakes his head no. 

“Okay,” Scott continues, sticking his fingers in Jensen’s mouth then tilting his head to clear it. He checks the man’s pupils, listens closely to his breath sounds. Scott didn’t bring his stethoscope in his carry on so it was the best he could do. 

“Did he say anything-- before this happened?” Scott asks Jared. 

Jared shrugs, helpless. “Um, I don’t-- I don’t know. He was with his wife. She’s the one who asked me to check on him...” 

Scott turns to the flight attendants still hovering just outside of the door. “Could one of you get his wife for me? I need to ask her a few questions.” They leave to fetch Danneel, who is currently sitting in Jared’s vacated seat, clutching Gen’s hand. 

When she arrives, visibly shaken, Scott repeats the question. 

“He said he was really dizzy-- like he was on a Tilt-O-Whirl and then he started feeling sick,” Danneel explains, shrugging one shoulder as she tries not to cry. The attendant from earlier wraps her arm around her. 

“Is your husband on any medication?” Scott says, glancing up at her. Jensen is showing signs of an adverse reaction, but until he knows what caused it, there isn’t much Scott can do to help him. He’s still breathing normally, and although his heart rate is a little low, it’s beating steadily.

“Y-yeah,” Danneel answers, frowning. “He-he takes a few um... supplements. And...um--,” she pauses, trying to recall the name of the new medication Jensen started yesterday. “He’s also taking something to help him sleep, but I can’t remember the name of it. He just started taking it yesterday. He’s been having trouble sleeping soundly due to stress so the doctor suggested he start taking something for it.” 

Scott looks backs up. “A sedative? Well, many sedatives can cause extreme dizziness or vertigo and that would explain his symptoms.” 

Danneel’s eyes drift from the medic to her husband’s prone body. Jensen is still out cold, lying on the floor of the tiny bathroom, sprawled against Jared with his legs extended out into the main aisle. There was vomit on his shirt and smeared across his cheek--Hell, it was even in his hair. She raises a hand to her mouth, fighting against the wave of emotion the sight caused. 

“Sleeping pills can cause…  _ that...? _ ” she asks once she composes herself. 

“Some can, if you have a bad reaction” Scott replies, shrugging. His hand is wrapped around Jensen’s wrist, checking his pulse. “He should be fine in a few hours, but for now, he’ll probably sleep.” 

“Ma’am?” 

Danneel looks at the attendant trying to get her attention. She is younger than the one currently keeping her from collapsing on the floor, but she has a kind smile. “Yes?” she answers. 

“We have a few seats available in first class. If you think he’d be more comfortable there?” she says, glancing between Danneel and the medic. 

Scott nods, hearing her offer. He turns back to the distraught wife of his patient. “That might be best, just in case his condition worsens…” Her eyes widen. “I don’t think that’ll happen,” he rushes to assure her, “but because of the varying altitude, I’d like to keep an eye on him-- If that’s okay?” 

Even though there are tears in her eyes, Danneel nods firmly. “Okay, yes, please,” she says, answering them both at the same time. “Just um, can you give us a few minutes to get him cleaned up?” 

“Of course. Take your time. We’ll get everything ready for you.” 

Scott speaks to Jared as he stands up, “If he starts to convulse or vomits again, let me know right away, but other than that, it’s best to let him sleep.” He turns to the younger attendant. “I’d like to take a look at what medical supplies you have on hand.” 

“Um, sure... We keep it in the back. You can follow me.” 

Once Scott and the attendants leave, Danneel and Jared get to work cleaning Jensen up. Damp paper towels are used to wipe off his face and hair and after Gen arrives with a blanket sent by one of the flight attendants, they remove his shirt and pants and wrap it around him. 

Danneel feels awful leaving behind copious amounts of her husband’s bodily fluids decorating the small room, but the attendants assured her earlier that they would take care of cleaning and sanitizing it. She closes the door behind them so the rest of the passengers won’t have to see the mess then follows Jared, who’s carrying Jensen, to first-class.

The first-class flight attendant was notified about the situation so she greets them quietly then leaves to get Danneel a bottle of water and Jared a splash of whiskey-- he’s still pretty shaken up by the whole ordeal. 

They settle in their new seats, along with Gen, who was waiting for them when they arrived, sipping on their drinks and glancing at Jensen every few minutes. 

Jared calms down, thanks to the Jack Daniel’s, and keeps himself occupied by watching a movie with Gen while Danneel sleeps fitfully next to Jensen. She isn’t able to relax completely, wishes he would open his eyes. She just wants to know he’s okay, that whatever the hell happened was over and he was back to normal. 

About an hour away from their destination, Scott comes to check on Jensen and declares that since his blood pressure has dropped dangerously low and he is no longer breathing normally he’s advising the flight staff to contact the hospital in Maui. After a few minutes, it’s announced over the speaker that due to a medical emergency, an ambulance will arrive to take him directly to the hospital after they land. 

Genevieve and Jared do their best to keep Danneel from panicking as the plane descends. 

“We’ll be there as soon as we can get a cab,” Gen says, holding the other woman’s hand across the aisle. 

“T-tell me he’s g-gonna be okay…” Danneel sobs, looking over at Jensen and Scott. The medic hadn’t left since Jensen’s pressure dropped. He’s using the stethoscope he’d recovered from the plane’s medical supplies and has a blood pressure cuff secured around Jensen’s arm. 

When the plane lands, the pilot comes out to converse with him about Jensen’s state and inform him that the ambulance is ready and waiting. Once the doors open, the paramedics board to load Jensen onto a stretcher. Scott follows them out, giving them as much information as he can about the patient. Danneel gives Jared and Gen one last hug then hurries into the ambulance with her husband. 

On the way to the hospital, the paramedics administer an IV and fluids to help raise his blood pressure and wrap him in a thermal blanket to keep him warm. Danneel doesn’t let go of his hand, though it’s cold and clammy. 

Just as they pull into the ambulance bay at the hospital, he seizes. He’s rushed through the doors, the paramedics yelling stuff to the hospital staff as Danneel hurries after them. She’s never been so scared in her life. She’s desperate not to lose sight of him but when they take him through a set of double doors into an area that is off-limits to non-medical personnel, she’s left standing alone in the hallway. Tears streaming down her face, she watches as they race to save the man she loves. 

“Are you Mrs...Ackles?” A nurse says, approaching her. 

Unable to speak, Danneel nods. 

The nurse wraps an arm around her. “Your husband was taken into an evaluation room so the doctors can get him started on more fluids. Once they have him set up in a room, you’ll be able to join him.” 

They sit down in the waiting area, away from the rest of the group. 

Dannel looks at the nurse. “Is... he gonna be okay?” she asks before burying her head in her hands. “Please God, let him be okay…” 

It takes about forty-five minutes for the doctor to come out to speak with her. “Mrs. Ackles?” 

“Yes, that’s me,” Danneel says, looking up at him. She’s still too shaky to stand, but he takes a seat beside her. 

“Mrs. Ackles, my name is Dr. Mahelona.”

“Is Jensen okay? Can I see him?” 

“Of course. We’ve got him set up in a room so you’ll be able to sit with him. If you’d like to follow me, I’d like to go over a few things with you.” 

Danneel nods. She walks beside him in the hallway, trying to understand what he’s telling her. 

“According to the paramedics, there was a medic on the plane?” 

“Yes, that’s right. He said that Jensen--my husband had a bad reaction to his sleeping pills...” 

Dr. Mahelona nods. “That’s correct. However…” He stops in the middle of the hallway to turn to Danneel. “Mrs. Ackles, does your husband drink regularly?” 

“You mean, like...alcohol?” 

“Yes.” 

Danneel shrugs. “Sometimes… I guess. Why?” 

“We believe your husband’s condition was caused by an interaction between the sleeping aid and alcohol.” 

Feeling stunned, Danneel can only gape at the doctor. “You think he  _ drank  _ with it?” 

“Unfortunately, yes.” At her continued disbelief, Dr. Mahelona explains, “Although extreme dizziness and vomiting are common side effects of most sleeping aids, your husband’s low blood pressure and subsequent seizure are not. His decline into shock was probably caused by the presence of alcohol in his system at the time of consumption of the sleeping aid.” 

“Oh my God...what...how…” Danneel takes a deep breath.”But he’s gonna be okay?” 

Dr. Mahelona nods, pushing open the door to Jensen’s room. “So far, he seems to be responding to the treatment. However, we’d like to keep him overnight to make sure his pressure stabilizes.” 

Danneel thanks him then takes a seat in the chair beside Jensen’s bed. He’s hooked up to a heart rate monitor and he still has an IV, but his color is better and he’s no longer cold to the touch. 

After the doctor leaves, she leans forward, resting her arm across Jensen’s chest as she cards her fingers through his hair.  _ “You idiot…” _ she whispers. 

She can’t believe he was dumb enough to drink while taking a new medication. He almost gave her a heart attack! Shaking her head, she lifts his hand to her lips, kisses it. She’s going to give him a piece of her mind when he wakes up, but for now, she’s just happy to see him alive and in one piece. 

“...Dee?” 

Danneel doesn’t realize she fell asleep until she opens her eyes to find Jensen watching her. “Oh my god-- Jay!” 

Jensen winces when he’s hugged tightly. His entire body feels sore. “What happened?” he asks, glancing around the unfamiliar room. “Where are we?” 

Now that her husband is awake, Danneel finds herself shaking with anger. “Jensen Ackles, you scared the  _ hell  _ out of me! Don’t you  _ dare  _ do that again, you hear me? I will kick your ass.” 

“What are you-- Ow!” Jensen rubs his arm where his wife smacked him. 

“I cannot  _ believe  _ you  _ drank alcohol  _ with your new medicine-- What the hell were you thinking, Jay?!” 

Still a little groggy, it takes Jensen a minute to realize what she’s talking about. “...I didn’t… Oh-- Crap. Dinner.” Turning to face Danneel fully, he cups her cheek. “Shit-- Honey, I didn’t even think about that…” 

“You scared the hell out of me. God, you were so sick on the plane and then on the way here… Jay, I thought I was gonna lose you…” 

It breaks Jensen’s heart to see his wife falling apart, knowing he is the cause. Sniffling back the tears that want to escape, he wraps his arms around her, taking care not to dislodge the IV. 

“Honey, I’m so sorry...I didn’t mean to scare you,” he says, stroking her hair. 

Still sniffling, she pulls away to look him in the eye. “Jay… what were you thinking…”

“... I wasn’t,” he turns away so he won’t have to see her when he says, “Hell, Dee, after we finished shooting… there was so much, you know? I felt happy and proud but...knowing it was over, that Jared and I were done and Supernatural was finished…” 

A tear drips down his face-- Jensen wipes it away before continuing, “When they asked at dinner what we wanted to drink, it was a no-brainer to order a glass of wine. And then when they came back and asked if I wanted a second… 

“I didn’t even think about the stupid pill. And by the time we got to the airport and I remembered I needed to take it, I was so focused on getting to you that I forgot about the wine and how the two might interact.” 

Seeing the sincerity in his eyes, Danneel sighs, “Just...promise me you’ll be more careful--okay?” 

Jensen leans down to kiss her. “I promise.” 

Jared and Genevieve arrive just in time to see the couple kiss. They wait at the door until the pair separates then knock before entering. “Is the patient up for visitors?” Jared calls out, “Are you decent?” 

“For now,” Jensen says, laughing. “Damn gowns don’t leave much to the imagination.” He and Jared share a quick hug. Danneel gets up, offering Jared her chair. 

At her husband’s questioning gaze, she smiles. “Relax,” Danneel tells him, “I’m gonna go grab a cup of coffee. I’ll be back…” 

“Why don’t you have one of them go get it?” Jensen says, gesturing between the newcomers. Jared ducks his head when Danneel raises her eyebrow at her husband. Genevieve smiles but manages to contain her laughter. 

“Jay, they came here to see  _ you _ , not fetch me coffee.” Jensen opens his mouth to argue, but she cuts him off, heading to the door. “I will be right back, I promise. Gen, would you like to join me? I think the guys could use a few minutes alone…” 

Snorting, Genevieve rolls her eyes playfully before heading over to her friend. “Gosh, what could’ve given you that idea…?” The two women glance over their shoulders at their husbands. Jared’s chair is about as close as possible to Jensen’s bed and they’re leaning into each other. 

Realizing they’re being called out, Jared pulls his beanie down to cover his face and Jensen blushes deeply before averting his eyes. 

The women giggle as they leave the room. Still somewhat embarrassed, Jensen mumbles,  _ “Hurry back…” _

He spends a few minutes telling Jared what Danneel told him then listens while Jared explains what happened on the plane. By the end of it, Jensen feels utterly mortified. To not just get  _ sick _ on a plane, but sick to the point of being covered in his own vomit? He’s not sure he’ll ever recover…

“Hey, don’t do that,” Jared says when Jensen quiets. “It wasn’t your fault, man.” At Jensen’s look, he amends his statement, “Okay-- it  _ was _ technically your fault, but shit happens.” 

Thoroughly disgusted by his actions both at dinner and on the plane, Jensen shakes his head. “I can’t believe I was such an  _ idiot _ .” 

Jared frowns. “You’re not an idiot, dude. You’re human-- you made a mistake.” 

“Yeah, a  _ huge _ mistake.” 

“Look, I get that you’re embarrassed, but you gotta let it go. Should you have skipped your pill and waited until today to start it? Sure. But you didn’t. You took it. You puked on a plane. You scared the hell out of your wife and now, you’re in a hospital bed in Hawaii instead of lounging on the beach. All you can do is learn from this, you know? And I’d bet money you’re going to think twice before taking anything with alcohol in your system…” 

Jensen grudgingly admits his friend is right. “Yeah. I’ll never look at a glass of wine the same way.” 

“You know,” Jared says, leaning back in his chair, “something good did come out of this…” 

Unable to think of one positive thing that arose because of his dumb mistake, Jensen waits. 

Jared smirks. “We totally got to fly first class.” 

Jensen scoffs, “ _ You  _ got to fly first class.” 

“Dude--you were there too!” Jared argues, laughing. 

“I was unconscious!” 

“So? You were  _ there _ \-- It counts.” 

“Bullshit it does.  _ I _ have to remember it happened for it to count.” 

“Pfft! Says who?” 

“I don’t know-- the makers… of it or whatever.” 

“The  _ makers _ of the bucket lis _ t _ ? Seriously?” 

Unwilling to admit defeat, Jensen crosses his arms over his chest, wincing when it tugs on his IV. “Whatever. It’s not even a real bucket list, dude.” 

“What--yes, it is!” 

Jensen shakes his head as Danneel and Genevieve re-enter the room. “A real bucket list is things you want to do before you die-- mine is just shit I want to try… at some point…  _ Maybe _ .” 

Danneel sits beside him on the bed while Gen settles onto Jared’s lap. She hands him a coffee which he readily accepts. Jensen sighs dejectedly before continuing their conversation. 

“I can live without flying first class--I just thought it’d be neat.” 

Danneel frowns, turning to Jared, she asks, “What on earth are you two going on about?” 

Jared grins. “Jensen claims that because he won’t remember ever flying first class, the time spent there on our flight doesn’t count for his bucket list.” 

Genevieve quietly sips her coffee, waiting for what she knows is going to happen. Sure enough, a moment later Danneel twists to face her husband. 

“Jay--you were on the flight. It counts.” 

“I wasn’t awake, Dee. I have no recollection of ever having been in first class.” 

“And?” she says, gesturing with her coffee cup. “You never said you had to be  _ awake  _ while in first class, just in it.” 

Jensen opens his mouth but closes it when he realizes he’s been outsmarted by his lovely wife. “Fine,” he says, looking at Jared, “You win.” 

They spend the afternoon lazing around in Jensen’s hospital room, watching old reruns of  _ I Love Lucy, _ and planning out the next few days. 

And although it’s not anywhere near what any of them had in mind for the start of their vacation, the foursome finds that they’re pretty happy where they are, because at least they’re all together and  _ mostly _ healthy. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you enjoyed reading this or any of my other works, you should check out ficfacers.com for the details on this year's auction! I have two lots up for bid this year-- both sick fics with three chapters each :) 
> 
> Kudos are welcome! They keep me going :)

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you enjoyed a little Padackles-style TLC! I know I had a good time writing it. 
> 
> Kudos to you for reading :)


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